


Actions Speak Louder

by peter_is_tonys_son



Series: Words Aren’t Enough [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Angry Peter Parker, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Depression, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt Peter Parker, Iron Dad, M/M, Main Relationship is Irondad and Spiderson, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Minor Character Death, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, One Big Happy Family, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, References to Depression, Romance, Slow Burn, Stony - Freeform, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, dad! tony, spider son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 03:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peter_is_tonys_son/pseuds/peter_is_tonys_son
Summary: Peter is devastated when May dies and feels lost and alone. Tony struggles his way through Peter’s heartbreak, trying to do his best by him but failing often. They learn and grow together and find a bit of happiness in the little family they create. Steve and Tony connect and a relationship blooms. Tony is a good dad.If you still don’t understand cause I’m bad at summarizing, read the tags. :))





	1. how many nights have you wished someone would stay?

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! If anyone happens to stumble upon this story, you should know a couple things.  
> 1) I am really only writing this for myself. I looooove Tony and Peter stories, I've read a billion amazing ones, but there's always something you would change or do differently. Everyone has their own preferences, so this story is the fic that I personally would like to read.  
> 2) This fic's plot line and story is completely unoriginal. Not only are all the characters Marvel's property, but the plot of the story is totally derived from other Tony and Pete stories I have read on AO3 so. The only thing that is original about this story is my writing, because I ain't no plagiarizer.  
> Like I said above, this story is inspired by many different fics I have read that are absolutely amazing writing, and truly a blessing. If you seem interested in this story because of the tags, then GO CHECK OUT THE ONES I AM RECOMMENDING!! Because most of my fic is inspired by and taken from these next few fics. They deserve the love! Go love on them. 
> 
> Here are just a few I absolutely love and took inspiration from:
> 
> My favorite of all, Thunder and Lightning by ObservationalObsessive. It is the BEST out there and I have read it like 4 times over.  
> The entire series of We're Gonna Have to do This Together by edibna. This series is a masterpiece honestly.  
> And last but not least, the series Lights To Guide You Home by JolinarJackson. So good!
> 
> There have definitely been more, but those are the top that I think have inspired this fic the most. Go check them out!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so the title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :)  
> enjoy the angsty first chapter lovies
> 
> also,,, COMMENTS MAKE MY WHOLE WORLD IF YOU LIKED IT PLEASE LEAVE A LIL COMMENT AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVERRRRRR

 

It was raining when he got the call. It always seemed that bad news came on rainy days. Maybe that was how the Universe showed you that it too, was grieving. Or maybe it was completely coincidental.

Either way, it was the goddamn rain again and Peter already knew that something had happened before his phone rang. It was raining when Uncle Ben was shot, too. It’s only fitting then, that it would be the fucking rain that took Aunt May from him.  
  
The nurse's voice was full of pity on the other end of the phone. That was one of Peter's least favorite things. “Excuse me is this Peter Parker?” Peter inhaled sharply.

He didn’t want to respond because maybe if he didn’t, she wouldn’t tell him what she was about to tell him, and he would go home to Aunt May making pancakes for dinner. Ironically she had been taken to St. Peter’s Hospital in downtown Queens.

After a long pause he shoved out a small, “Yes.” It was almost as if Peter could hear the woman’s hope exit her body through her audible sigh. “I am so sorry to inform you of this news,” and she really did seem sorry, “But your Aunt May has been in a car accident. I cannot release more information through the phone, so if you could please-“

Peter had already hung up before she could tell him to come to the hospital. He pulled his web-shooters from his backpack, strapped them to his wrists and was swinging to May as fast as he could push himself. It seemed like a millennia before he reached those automatic hospital doors.

He hated this place more than anything in the world. The smell of cleaning alcohol, vomit, blood, and freshly mopped tiles was enough to make anyone puke, let alone Peter's highly sensitive sense of smell. He quickly asked the man at the desk where to find her and ran through the halls until he reached her door.

It seemed, however, that as soon as he began to reach for the handle, his body refused to respond and could not physically open the door. He could lift a building off of him but he couldn’t turn a fucking door knob. His mind began to whirl and all his swinging caught up to him.

Even Peter's above average body could not handle the stress he had put on it by web-shooting 40 miles to the hospital from his school as fast as he did. The combination of sleep deprivation, shortness of breath, and complete shock left him whirring. He grabbed the wall to steady himself but black closed in on his vision and Peter slumped to the floor unconscious.

\---------------------------------------------

He woke up completely disoriented, before remembering the events leading up to his fainting. Peter could feel his knuckles tighten around the armrests of the chair he was sitting in when he recalled the reason behind the bright fluorescent lights and the smells flooding his senses. Right.

He was in the hospital. And yeah. May was probably dead. There was a kind looking woman sitting next to him that gave him a gentle smile as she looked up from the file in her lap to see he had woken up.

Peter leapt up to go into Aunt May's room, because he wouldn’t faint this time, he could do it, before the woman sitting next to him pulled him back down to his chair. A brief moment of anger coursed through him and he yanked his arm out of her surprisingly strong grasp.

She looked concerned and that honestly just irritated him more than anything. “Peter please, stay seated for just a moment while I speak to you.” He was surprised to find no pity in her voice. It was then he realized that this woman had to be a social worker.

He had met a woman like this before when his parents had died, and he couldn’t help but involuntarily recoil slightly at her touch. Worry flashed over her face for a moment before she composed her expression with a smile to say, “I know this is extremely hard to hear and understand, Peter, but your Aunt did not make it out of the car crash. A drunk driver T-boned the driver's side of her car and she went completely unconscious right then and there.”

The details of her death made Peter's eyes well up, but he didn’t want her to stop, he needed to know. Searching for a sign to stop in his face but finding none, the woman sighed and continued, “The ambulance tried to keep her alive as long as they could but she lost a lot of blood, and,” she looked down and cleared her throat so her voice would stop from shaking. This was always the worst part of her job.

“Your aunt passed away peacefully in her sleep around 20 minutes ago. She wasn’t in any pain, I promise, sweetheart.” Peter's eyes squinted involuntarily and he couldn’t help but shake his head as the woman finished recounting the events of the night. Fresh tears sprung to his eyes.

How could she know what May felt? How could she promise she died peacefully? She couldn’t know. _She couldn’t promise him a thing._ How long was he passed out for? Maybe if he had swung faster, maybe if he hadn't passed out, he could - he could have seen her, alive . . . _breathing_.

Peter tried to continue to be angry at the woman but found he didn't have the energy. He felt defeated. Trying not to let his sobs reach his voice he whispered, “Can I just go and see her?” The case worker gave him a sad smile and nodded. Peter barely registered her response of, “I’ll just be out here if you need anything,” as he got up from his chair and walked into her room.

His heart nearly stopped seeing her lying there on that bed, looking so lifeless and cold. Peter had never seen May so still, even when she slept, she seemed to do it with an inexplicable energy. He could always count on her exuberance and zest for life. Even after working the night shift for months, she was never too tired for Peter.

His heart sunk to his stomach at the sight. The world seemed to slow down as he walked to her side and pulled up a chair. Peter choked on his breath as the sobs that were wracking his body senseless sped up. He was shaking uncontrollably and his breaths quickly became shallow.

Peter panicked and tried to get up but dizziness overwhelmed him and he fell back into the chair. His hands clutched the arms of the chair tightly as he tried to ground himself, but to no avail. His breaths were loud and labored and his crazed expression fell on the social worker woman’s frightened and unsure expression as she leaned down next to him.

Time was moving so slowly that Peter was unsure when she had come into the room. She seemed to be saying something but there was a ringing in Peter's ears that he couldn’t shake out. _Why wouldn’t the ringing just go away?_

He needed help and he needed it fast but he remembered he had nobody anymore and that only seemed to make his panic attack worse. The last person that was on his emergency contact list was laying two feet away from him, not breathing, not moving. A nearby nurse ran in to help him breathe but Peter lost focus fast.

His eyes were closing and he started to slump further into his chair. He was falling and it was dark and he couldn't seem to get a grip on reality anymore. His mind was swimming. The pressure on his chest was unrelenting.

Finally through the ringing and the nurse yelling he could make out the social worker's voice saying, “Who can I call? Peter who can I call? Breathe! Who can I call Peter?!” His vision was getting fuzzier with every short breath. He realized that his lungs probably weren’t getting enough air to his brain and that he was going to black out again.

He scrambled his cloudy mind for a name, anyone that she could call. In the last moments before he fainted for the second time within an hour, with gasping breaths he mumbled out the only name that came to him. “Tony Sta-ark.”

\---------------------------------------------

Peter woke up to the sound of yelling outside of the hospital room. Oh God, they were so loud. He instantly grabbed his head to try and relieve the throbbing headache he had. The voices sounded familiar but his groggy brain couldn’t piece it together.

He looked down at his lap in faint confusion when he saw an expensive looking suit jacket laid carefully down. The smell of engine oil, sandalwood cologne, and black coffee made him realize who owned the jacket on his lap and the voice he had been hearing outside the door.

He tuned in to their conversation and heard, “Look, sorry what’s your name? Linda? Look, Linda, I hear what you’re saying, I do, but I need _you_ to listen to _me_. This kid is not going into foster care. I’m not letting that happen. You seem like a nice enough lady, but I can’t guarantee his foster parents will be the same. I’m taking Peter with me right now and my lawyers will call you in the morning with the details. Ah ah- don’t try to stop me, it usually doesn’t end well for those who attempt it.”

Peter was momentarily distracted from his dead Aunt lying on the bed a few feet away from him when he listened to their conversation but the worry hit him all over again. What if Mr. Stark couldn’t take him home with him? Did Peter actually want to go home with him? That’s too complicated of a question, moving on.

Could Mr. Stark really just dodge the system like he was saying? Did he really want an idiot teenager hanging around his tower? Definitely not. But he did seem really determined. . . Peter's train of thought was interrupted by a soft click of the door closing.

In walked Tony Stark, wearing those goddamn blue sunglasses only he would wear in a dark hospital room. Peter suddenly felt small, like he shouldn’t be worth Mr. Stark's time and efforts. He was just an orphan with no family left. He didn’t mean anything to anyone.

A tear slid down Peter's face as he thought about the fate of the last person that cared about him. The proof of his Parker luck was laying across from him in the bed.

Peter looked to him standing at the door, looking contemplative. He could see Mr. Stark's furrowed eyebrows from above his sunglasses and wondered if he was already thinking up ways to take back what he had said to Linda.

That had to be what Mr. Stark was thinking, he was probably planning the calls he had to make to ship him off somewhere far away so he wouldn’t ever have to talk to him again.

Tony paused at the door staring at the poor kid huddled in a hospital room chair he shouldn’t be in, dealing with another death he shouldn’t have to. God the world was fucking _cruel_. Tony shook his anger for the boys' circumstances out of his head and took a few steps to Peter's side. Tony needed to be calm for him. He knelt down to be in Peter's direct line of sight and took off his sunglasses.

Tony tiredly ran his hand down his face and shook his head before looking into the boy's eyes for the first time. The look of devastation and glistening tears he saw broke his heart and his expression softened.

He was debating whether or not he smile at Peter, but thought against it, because who in their right mind would want to be the recipient of a pity smile in this terrible situation?

Tony knew Peter wouldn’t want his sympathies and so instead, he said with a sigh, “Hey kid. I’m going to assume you heard me out there with Linda.” Tony wasn’t sure when the last time it was that he didn’t know what to say. He also wasn't sure when the last time it was that he needed to be the comforting one.

“I- I know you might not want to leave right now but I think it’s for th-“

Tony nearly fell over as Peter leapt to his feet grabbing his backpack, wanting nothing more than to leave this terrible smelling place, and rid his mind of the sight of Aunt May's unnatural rigidity. Trying his hardest to remain stoic for Mr. Stark and not humiliate himself in front of his hero, Peter briskly walked past him to the door and out into the hallway before he could see his tears.

Standing up, Tony grabbed his suit jacket and followed Peter out the door. He briefly spoke to the front desk, arranging for a nearby mortuary to transport May to the cemetery Ben was buried in. Luckily Tony didn't have to involve Peter too much, because the boy was clearly wanting to sprint out of there as fast as he could. He needed to sign a few more papers, thanked the man that had helped them, and swiftly turned to Peter to lead him out.

No one stopped them as Tony led Peter out of the hospital with his hand on the younger man's back. Could he even call him a man? He seemed so small. Tony wasn’t sure what to think of Peter right now. He just knew that he was definitely going to need his space for a while. Or at least, that's what Tony would need in Peter's situation. Huh, maybe the kid would be different.

Peter recognized the car and opened the door to sit in the backseat. He couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised when he saw that Mr. Stark had moved to sit next to him in the backseat. Peter figured it must be what Mr. Stark always did when being drove around by Happy and shrugged the feeling off.

Tony gave Happy a small nod to start driving and took out his phone to call his lawyers. The phone was on the third ring when he decided to hang up, realizing that talking about Peters situation right in front of him probably wasn’t the best idea.

Tony noticed that Peter seemed to have scooted as close to the opposite side of the car as possible and felt it sting him a little bit. It solidified Tony's theory that the boy would need lots of space.

He knew he wasn’t the most outwardly caring man, but why did Peter seem so uncomfortable around him? Had he already fucked something up? Tony thought that, yeah that was a definite possibility given his track record with children. He was thinking about having the boy lay on him to sleep after seeing Peter's bloodshot eyes and dark circles, but began to wonder how he would react. If he had moved to sit so far away, then maybe he would reject the physical gesture?

He quickly shook the thought out of his head. If he was going to do this, and really try and help this kid, he would need to buckle down on his fears and learn how to be comfortable with awkward physical contact. Tony knew that Peter needed sleep and the most comfortable position he could lay in, was if he leaned on Tony.

He shoved his uneasiness about the close contact deep down and said, “Kid, come lay on me and try to get some rest. The ride is long and you look exhausted.”

Peter's eyebrows shot up at the suggestion, but felt himself blush a little at the warm idea. Unfortunately, he really needed a hug from Aunt May right now, and seeing as that was impossible, he settled for the closest thing he could get to comfort.

Peter knew Mr. Stark was only doing this out of necessity, and that he didn’t really want him laying on his lap like a child, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse the offer. He scooted closer to Mr. Stark without a word and hesitantly leaned his head against his shoulder.

Tony could sense the boy's hesitation and felt the need to reassure him that this was okay. He shifted a little sideways so he was facing the opposite window and leaning against his side of the car, lifted his arm, and wrapped it around the boy's small frame to bring Peter deeper into his hold. Once Peter was fully leaning his back against Tony’s chest, he wrapped his other arm around Peter so that he was hugging him from behind.

Peter tensed at the hug, but then slowly began to relax as he settled in to the surprisingly comfortable abdomen of Mr. Stark. He guessed that he wanted him to lay down all the way so he pulled his legs up onto the seat bench. He felt cared for and secure, like nothing could harm him while he was in Iron Man’s strong hold.

Peter was glad to have Mr. Stark's warm arms as something to focus on to distract himself from the past few hours. He wasn’t sure that Mr. Stark would appreciate it, but he snuggled in nice and close, nuzzling his head against the strong shoulder. Normally he would be embarrassed to be so clingy, but he was too tired and too upset to care.

Tony’s heart swelled with warmth and he shook his head to himself at the poor boy's life. Peter was the last person on earth to deserve this pattern of heartbreak after heartbreak. He silently promised himself that if it was in his power, the boy would never have to feel this sad ever again, no matter how uncomfortable it made him feel.

Human intimacy has never been Tony Stark’s thing, ask anybody. But he would try, for Peter. For Peter, _he thinks he might just try anything_.

The minute Peter shut his eyes, he was fast asleep, breathing deeply and slowly against the safety of his mentor's chest.

 

 


	2. spaces between us, keep getting deeper. it’s harder to reach you, even though i try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they’re both a l o n e.  
> yikers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I am actually shocked at how many people have not only read this but have left kudos within the first couple hours of me posting, I figured I would write another super short chapter just cause I felt really motivated. The smallest bit of encouragement really helps! So thank you to anyone who has already left kudos! Y'all are so kind :'). So here is chapter 2, super short, and I wrote it in like 45 minutes so if there are a few mistakes I apologize. Enjoy!
> 
> as always, title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :)

Tony had been sitting in his parked car for about, oh, 47 minutes? Yeah, he had been keeping track, because every minute passing by meant dealing with the door handle branding itself into his back. He hadn’t moved from this position in approximately 2 hours and it really was starting to take its toll on his old and achy body.

At first, he had been able to get some work done on his phone during the drive. He responded to emails, checked some of his investments, God, he had even texted Pepper asking her if there was anything she needed him to do. Anything to distract him from the backache.

After about 50 minutes, that proved useless. And as much as he would like to move and relieve his body of the tightness and pain, he wasn’t going to do that. Why? Well there was a sweet little Spider-baby, fast asleep, curled up into Tony’s chest.

Happy had looked at him weird when he told him that he was going to wait in the car, but Tony didn’t care. He knew Peter needed the sleep, and he was just going to have to suck it up and bear the pain to let the poor boy sleep on him, even if that meant he would need to make an appointment with a masseuse.

Peter had a hell of a night, to say the least, and all Tony had to do was just breathe through the sharp pain.

"Breathe, Tony, breathe. You’re Iron Man, you’ve endured torture, broken bones, crushed lungs, shrapnel to the heart, this is nothing. It’s nothing. It’s.....oh God fucking HELL. . .Nope, this is nothing. Breathe through it. Pain is just weakness leaving the body. Breathe. . . . holy shit . . . nah it’s not that bad . . . I can handle it . . . . I'm getting too old for this . . . Nope nope nope I can’t handle it. Iron Man has been beaten by a car door. Okay so I need to get out of this godforsaken car, but how without waking Peter up? I hope he’s a heavy sleeper."

Tony slowly shifted sideways so Peter’s head fell into his right arm. If he could just maneuver his left arm under the kid’s legs, he could bridal style carry him out of here. He managed to shift Peter into his arms, and damn this kid weighed nothing. Opening the car door proved a little bit tricky now that he had his arms full of spider boy, but he used his free hand and got it to open.

Peter stirred a bit in his arms, and Tony froze. The kid just snuggled deeper into his hold, so he carried on in taking him up to the top floor of his tower. He knew Peter was a hugger, he had seen the physical affection shared between him and May, but he didn’t realize just how snuggly he really was.

It was pretty cute how comfortable he was like this, even if it was just because he was sleeping. Tony would have woken up immediately and jumped down as fast as possible.

He quickly walked into the elevator with the boy, avoiding anyone that could be lurking around in the lobby this late. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. take me up to the Penthouse.” The A.I.’s smooth voice responded with a quiet affirmation of “On it, sir.”

She must have sensed that Tony didn’t want to wake Peter. He felt sorta proud of his skills in creating an A.I. that could be so intuitive. Sometimes his own tech impressed him. Once the elevator quietly binged that they had arrived at the very top floor, Tony walked in to his private living room and went straight for the bedrooms.

His penthouse was styled very minimally, because if he was being honest, he wasn’t actually in here that often. He really only slept here, made his coffee here, and occasionally had the team or Rhodey over for a movie night.

Tony took Peter to the bedroom attached to his own master suite, separated only by a door. He figured that if Peter was freaked out waking up someplace new, that being a door away from Tony could help ease some of that fear. Or, maybe Tony just wanted him close to be able to watch over Peter, but that was besides the point.

Once Tony had laid Peter on the bed, taken off his shoes and pulled the covers over him, he decided he needed to get some coffee. It was already 2 am, and that was basically morning time anyway, so he might as well go down to the workshop like he was planning on doing in the morning.

But first, “F.R.I.D.A.Y. notify me immediately when Peter wakes up, and let him know he’s welcome to the shower and anything he can find in the fridge.” And if Tony spent most of the time in the workshop worrying about Peter, well, nobody needed to know that.

\---------------------------------------------

Peter Parker woke up very confused. Two blackouts and a lot of tears the night before could do that to someone. Also, waking up in an unknown bed could also attribute to the confusion. He sat up, searching around the room for some kind of sign as to where he was.

The room was large, and soft light trickled in from behind the closed blinds of a window. The bed he was laying in was 3 times his size, and the bedding was the softest bedding he would ever feel in his life, he was sure of it.

His groggy mind began to recount the events from last night and he thumped back down into the bed with the heaviness of the memories. Peter realized where he was once he remembered the surprise appearance of Mr. Stark at the hospital, and then he recalled that oh, yeah. He fell asleep on him in the car.

That might be the most humiliating moment just about in the history of ever, but Peter’s face wasn’t red from embarrassment. The tear stained face was red because he remembered the reason Tony took him here in the first place. Aunt May.

Peter began to cry harder and curl up into the soft pillow when he heard a woman's loud voice address him. “Mr. Parker, I was instructed to inform you that there is a bathroom with a shower attached to your bedroom, and that you are welcome to any food you may find in the kitchen.”

Besides the shock of the announcement, Peter was once again confused. “Um, who are you? Are you another A.I.? Are you like Karen?” he asked the ceiling. “Yes, Mr. Parker. My name is F.R.I.D.A.Y. and I was designed and programmed by Mr. Stark. I am a similar program to the A.I. you call "Karen" except I run the tower and Mr. Stark's suits. I am here to help you with anything you may need.”

Peter noticed that her voice was quite kind, like Karen's, and wondered how Mr. Stark managed to do that. He also wondered where Mr. Stark was. Peter knew that he was just the annoying teenage orphan, taking up space in his home, and nothing other than a bother to the man's busy schedule.

And he recognized that Mr. Stark didn’t have time for him, but he couldn’t help but feel a little bit hurt that he would just leave Peter here alone. He could admit that it stung a little to be overlooked, and he felt a little abandoned. This place was all new to him, and he felt scared just trying to find his way around by himself. He knew that made him sound like a little kid, but he was broken and afraid.

But logically, Peter knew that he shouldn’t expect anything from Tony because he realized that the man was extremely generous for even letting him stay here at all. Let alone offering him the food and utilities to use freely. He knew he should be really grateful to Mr. Stark.

Peter just wished he didn’t have to be alone right now. He remembered their first few encounters, and that awkward moment Peter thought Mr. Stark was giving him a hug, but was really just opening the door . . . nothing had been more embarrassing than that.

But that was going to be his life from now on, Mr. Stark's awkward shuffling so as to avoid physical contact, so Peter figured he should try to get used to it.

Peter knew that he smelled terrible and that a shower would definitely make him feel better, because they always did. And his stomach did happen to be growling, but the grief of May’s death left him whirring again. The nausea and overwhelming depression that hit him was beginning to be a familiar feeling to Peter and he decided that a shower and food could wait.

He laid his head on the pillow, closed his eyes, and prayed to whatever God is out there that he would fall asleep soon, so the pain he was feeling could subside, even for a moment. Tears leaked from his closed eyes as he waited for sleep to overcome him.

\---------------------------------------------

F.R.I.D.A.Y. had informed Tony about an hour ago that Peter had woken up and that he hadn’t left his bed yet. That was completely understandable to Tony, and he really did feel like he needed to give the kid space.

But when F.R.I.D.A.Y. told him that he cried himself to sleep, Tony frowned deeply. That would be a normal reaction to his recent trauma, but it broke Tony’s heart nonetheless.

He knew that Peter should be left alone to process it on his own, but Tony wanted nothing more than to be able to do something, anything, for the kid. He wanted to sit by him, and offer comfort, but he knew that that would be overbearing and unwelcome.

So Tony continued working on his inventions, thinking of Peter. And although he worked in the workshop for hours at a time with no human contact on a weekly basis, he couldn’t help but feel even if just a tiny bit, _alone_.


	3. when the night is coming down on you, we will find a way through the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is still lonely, Tony is still unaware. Tony tries to fix that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So again, I wrote this really fast because I felt motivated to write more, and when I feel motivated I take advantage. This chapter is probably a lot shittier than the previous two, because it was longer and I was sort of rushing. Sorry the story is moving along kind of slow, I just like to establish the character's emotions and I like the details. Anyway, here's another update because I've gotten way more attention on this than I was expecting! WOOP! Lol, enjoy!
> 
> as always, title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :)

Peter had stayed in bed for what felt like an eternity. It really had only been 3 days. But when your every waking thought is one of self-loathing and sadness, the seconds drag on for hours.

The first day Peter stayed in bed, a Tuesday, he had made it until 4 pm before he felt like his stomach was going to start eating itself. His enhanced metabolism and appetite didn’t really allow for any meal skipping, but he tried.

He ventured out into the kitchen, all ruffled curls, deep dark circles under his big brown eyes, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders - probably looking like he had woken up from his death. Peter didn’t even have the energy to be impressed with the massive size of Tony’s apartment.

Could you call this an apartment? It seems to be that the whole floor is one living space so he guessed not. He found a sticky note on the fridge, scribbled in what could only be Tony’s handwriting.

“There’s not much in here. Sorry. Tell F.R.I.D.A.Y. what you want and it’ll be here in less than an hour.” Again, Peter felt his loneliness sink even lower into his chest.

He knew he had been in bed all day, and he was the one who decided he didn’t want to come out, and yet. The note just felt so impersonal, and he really needed to talk to someone. He wanted . . . well he wanted comfort. Maybe he could talk to F.R.I.D.A.Y.?

It would probably get back to Mr. Stark, and he really didn’t want to bother him more than he already was. Peter had never been left alone for this long, and that’s even counting the time May worked a triple shift with only an hour break in between to get a meal in. May.

When Uncle Ben had died, Peter and May helped each other through it. You would think it would be more Peter helping May, but it was the opposite. May was always so concerned about Peter and how he was doing, he’s not even sure she got to grieve Ben at all.

She was the one pulling him out of bed. She was the one holding him while he cried. He should have been there for her. He should have swallowed his sadness and comforted her, and let her feel her heartache for once.

Her fucking husband died and he was the one that couldn’t continue on without her help. He was always such a baby. A selfish and fully dependent child. He could have saved May from that driver. If he hadn’t been so determined on patrolling, he could have been in the car with her. He could have saved her. She would be here, if he wasn’t so goddamn selfish. He only ever thought of himself.

Peter sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fist as his shoulders slumped further down towards the floor. He wallowed in his thoughts as he opened the fridge to find a half empty bottle of hazelnut coffee creamer and a few stale bagels. He guessed he could munch on these bagels for a bit but he would definitely need something more sustaining soon.

“Uh, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

“Yes, Mr. Parker?”

“Oh, just Peter is fine. . . Um Mr. Stark left a note here saying you could get me food?” Peter wasn’t sure how exactly, but Mr. Stark was a genius, he would've figured it out. It was probably going to be Happy. Happy did everything for Mr. Stark.

“Yes, I can do that for you. What would you like me to order?”

“Pizza? If you can? I like pepperoni, but uh anything works! And um - if you could get like 2 or 3 that would be amazing.”

“You got it, Peter. It will be here in approximately 20 minutes.”

The pizza came by delivery boy and lasted him Tuesday and Wednesday, because F.R.I.D.A.Y. actually did buy 3 extra large pizzas. But today was Thursday afternoon and he was down to one slice left. He had taken it to his room so he could stay in bed and eat when he felt like he needed to, but it looked like he would need to leave his bed today.

At one point yesterday, Mr. Stark had told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to tell Peter that the flat screen in the room was voice activated and could reach any channel or streaming network Peter wanted.

He decided to just go to Netflix and turn on Friends, because it was both May and Peter’s favorite show. He turned it on just to have something to distract him from his deprecating thoughts, and had left it on this whole time.

He liked it to play while he slept because then his dreams were filled with laugh tracks and Ross proclaiming his love for Rachel, which was a much better alternative to the dreams he usually has. He fell asleep, once again, to the comforting voices of Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer.

\--------------------------------------------

Tony had really begun to worry about Peter. He had been working on an update to Rhodey’s War Machine suit the past few days but had to keep fixing the same things over and over because he was doing it wrong the first time.

He was distracted by the sad boy upstairs, doing nothing but ordering a few pizzas and sleeping. At least he thought of getting himself food, when Tony got like Peter was, he rarely remembered to eat. But then again, they did the whole grieving thing very differently.

When Tony’s parents died, Tony immersed himself in his work, not leaving his workshop for a full 2 weeks. He didn’t want to see anyone, hear anyone, or be anyone. All he wanted to do was work until he broke.

The only person that convinced him to come out was Rhodey, and that was after Tony had fainted/fell asleep from exhaustion and overworking his body. He had literally carried Tony upstairs to his room. And Peter, well he approached this the exact opposite of Tony.

He was holed up, unmoving for days, and wanting to do absolutely nothing at all. But the feelings were the same. They shared that in common at least. Tony remembered the grief, the self-hatred, the denial, the despair. It was all there.

He had told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to update him on Peter, what he was doing, if he had eaten, how he was sleeping. But when he watched the video feed of Peter’s room, he knew that even if the kid wanted to be alone, he wasn’t going to let it stand for any longer.

The curled up ball of Peter’s messy hair, red face, tear stained pillow, and clenched fists was too much. He was wearing the same clothes as he was in the hospital, and it looked like he hadn’t moved from that spot the full 3 days he had been here. If Tony didn't know better, he would have guessed exactly that.

Tony wasn’t going to let Peter do what he had always done to himself. He was going to intervene soon or mushrooms might begin to sprout from Peter’s hair. Tony worked up the courage to leave the workshop and told himself that no matter how Peter reacted, and no matter how hard he tried to push him away, he wasn’t going to let him.

Tony was Peter’s temporary guardian as of yesterday morning, and as his temporary guardian, Tony was going to do whatever it took to get Peter back on his feet. He wasn’t going to let Peter down. Not this time anyway.

First though, he should probably get some actual food in the house. He called Happy and asked him to run to the grocery store and get normal teenager foods. Happy didn’t really know what he meant by that, but he said he would figure it out anyway.

Okay so food was being taken care of, and now Tony was in dire need of a cup of coffee. He had gone too long without one and his caffeine headache was relentless.

He walked into his kitchen and started his coffee machine. Tony thought that he should check on Peter while it was brewing, but when he got up to the boy's door, he chickened out. He told himself that he just didn’t want to wake Peter up, but lord knows he’s had enough sleep the last few days.

Going back to the kitchen with a sigh, Tony decided he should call Pepper. He realized he hadn’t told her what’s been going on with him and Peter, and that she’ll be expecting him to come into work sometime soon, or, more like yesterday. But she won’t practically expect him for another few days, and she has to know why he won’t be coming in.

He takes out his phone to call her and clicks on one of her 4 missed calls. She must have been wondering where he’s been, after all.

“Tony? Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”

“Hey Pep. Uh yeah so that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I can’t come in tomorrow.” He could sense that she was probably rolling her eyes.

“You were supposed to come in yesterday, Tony. And why can’t you come in? You know we have a board meeting tomorrow. They need you there.”

“Do you remember that kid Peter? Spiderman? We were going to introduce him at that one press conference but then he backed out?”

“Yeah I remember him, why? What’s this about?”

“Well he’s an orphan, and he was living with his Aunt. She just died on Monday, Pepper." He sighs. "And he was at the hospital and didn't have anyone else, so he called me.”

“Oh my God, that poor thing. So he has no family left? Where is he staying? What does this have to do with you not coming in to work?” Her voice became suspicious and he could tell she started to suspect something was up so he just got it over with. Or at least he tried to.

“He’s staying with me. I called some lawyers and -“

“You called lawyers? Tony why would you need lawyers? What’s going on?” This time Tony rolled his eyes.

“If you let me finish, I would have already told you why I needed lawyers. There was a social worker that came to the hospital. The state was planning on sending him into foster care, and I couldn’t let that happen, for obvious reasons. The first being that he’s a super hero, and the second being that, well . . . I just can’t let him go to a foster family. So I told my lawyers to make me the temporary guardian of Peter. It lasts a month before I need to take more serious action. And I can’t come in to work because he’s been really down and hasn’t come out of his room. I can’t leave him alone like this, Pepper.”

Tony was met with silence from the other line. He waited a few beats before he grew impatient.

“Pepper? You there?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Just processing." She cleared her throat. "So you adopted a kid.”

“No it’s not an adoption, I just have temporary guardianship over him.”

“Uh-huh. So as close as adoption as you could get without actually adopting. You sure you can handle this? Well, not alone, but you'll have my help, and we could probably make it work." She was thinking and planning out loud. "Okay, so yeah you don’t have to come in, I’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks Pep. And uh, I’ve been wondering how to approach him about it all, and I don’t know what to do. I know I should give him space, but for how lon-“ She cut him off once again. She liked doing that, especially when he was saying something stupid, like right now.

“Tony how do you know he needs space? Did he tell you explicitly that’s what he needed?”

“Well no but -“

“Did he tell you to leave when you came in to check on him?”

“Well I haven’t actually gone in . . .”

He heard her sigh and her tone turned reprimanding. “Tony. He’s a kid! He’s not like you, I can almost guarantee you he doesn’t need space. Weren’t him and his Aunt super affectionate?” She said pointedly and Tony suddenly felt very stupid.

“Yeah, -“

“Then go give him what he needs! God, Tony you may be a genius, but you sure are one hell of an idiot. Peter probably needs your support and comfort right now. And even if that scares you, you’ve got to push your weird fear of human connection aside and be there for him.”

“. . . Yeah. I guess you’re right. Not everyone is like me. . . I guess I just assumed that he would need space cause that’s what I needed? But, yeah. Maybe most people aren’t like that. . . Alright I’m going. If I have any more questions can I call you?”

“Of course you can, Tony, you know that. Go make up for your mistakes.”

Right then F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced that Happy had arrived with the groceries. Food! Food was good. Peter probably needed something more to eat than 3 day old pizza, if he still had any left.

Tony thanked Happy and made up a plate of food for Peter. He got a water bottle and filled it up, and loaded up the plate with a few sandwiches, an apple, a banana, some pop tarts, and a family size bag of Frito's. Tony geared himself up for a vulnerable conversation with Peter, and walked to the door for the second time that day.

\---------------------------------------------

Peter was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to The One with Ross’ Sandwich, when he heard a soft knock at the door. He sat up and turned down the volume of the T.V. Has Tony finally decided to come in and check on him?

"Come in," Peter whisper-yelled out. His voice must have gotten hoarse from not using it at all in 3 days. The door opened and Peter's eyes burned with the sudden burst of light flooding in to his dark room.

He blinked away the spots to see Mr. Stark standing at the door with an armful of food. "Hey kid, can I come in?" Tony seemed tentative, and Peter wasn't going to let him leave so quickly, so he frantically said, "Yes please!" Peter immediately cringed at the very eager reply.

 _Ooh_ , that was awkward. Peter could see that Tony had a small smile on his face, and blushed an even darker shade of red. Mr. Stark walked in more and gestured to the light switch, silently asking if it was okay to turn them on.

Peter nodded and he turned the lights on to walk over to the bed. Peter straightened up some more to sit back against the headboard. He patted the bed near his legs and said, "Thanks for bringing me the food, but . . . you didn't have to. I could have gotten it myself."

Tony misread Peter's comment of uncertainty, for annoyance he was here and quickly said, "Oh right, I'll just leave this here then. I'll be in th-"

" _Wait!_ No I'm sorry I don't want you to leave. Please stay." The desperation in Peter's voice was shocking to Tony and his eyebrows shot up.

"Okay, yeah I-I won't go. I can stay here with you for as long as you want, I don't have anywhere to be."

Peter sighed a breath of relief and, if it was possible, felt his face glow brighter. He didn't mean to be so demanding, and it was very embarrassing to so desperately beg Tony to stay here with him, when he was clearly a very busy man. But Peter couldn't help but want his mentor here with him for as long as he would stay.

"So, how have you been holding up? F.R.I.D.A.Y. told me that you've eaten some pizza, so that's good." He cleared his throat. "Um, and you've been sleeping a lot so that's good too. But, I was wondering if you needed - needed like . . . a hug or something?" Tony inwardly cringed at how insecure he sounded, especially when he always seemed so confident.

One thing was for sure, when it came to kids, and this one sitting in front of him in particular, Tony was anything but confident. Cameras he could do, vulnerability and comforting? Now that was where it got real tough.

Peter's eyes welled up at the mention of a hug and all he could manage was a slight shrug. Thankfully, Tony took that as a yes, and leaned forward to pull Peter into his chest. The second Peter was wrapped up in Tony's arms he melted and with that, came the sobbing. He wept, in fact, so forcefully that he was shaking in Tony's arms, trying not to get snot on his shirt.

Tony had his arms wrapped around the boy's small shoulders, one hand holding his head tight to his chest. He was tensed and stared straight ahead, not knowing if he should say anything, or remain silent.

He decided that quiet shushing would be enough. Every suppressed whimper and sniffle tugged at Tony's heartstrings, so without even realizing he was doing it, Tony laid his cheek against Peter's head and began to rock back and forth.

There they sat, Spiderman sobbing into Iron Man's strong arms, feeling comforted and maybe - maybe even _loved_ , for the first time since the night of May's death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy! Tony finally realized he was being an idiot and tried to comfort Pete. Good parenting skills developing! Or good temporary guardian skills developing! lmao. I don't know how that would work btw, it's just a way to explain the situation.


	4. you and me got a whole lot of history

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Tony having faced his fear of human connection in the last chapter, he struggles with his insecurities once again and PANICS. Poor Peter is left alone. Pete finally contacts Ned, and Tony gets a surprise visit from someone special. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo... I know ya'll prolly hate me for not updating for LITERALLY 6 months. But I honestly just lost my motivation to write. Not only have I had a shit time with depression recently, but I just felt uninspired. Until! About a week ago I decided that maybe I had an idea for this 4th chapter. So here we go!! Don't hate me :D This chapter is a bit longer than the others, so at least there's that! This chapter is gonna be split into two parts because it's already very long. Here's the first part. Enjoy babies :))) 
> 
> as always, title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :) this title is taken from “history” and is meant to be from the perspective of peter, thinking of ned, and tony, thinking of ***** 🤪

 

The next morning Tony and his trademarked doubts we’re back in full swing. (pun intended). Peter had fallen asleep in his arms and Tony carefully maneuvered him to lay on his bed before tucking him under the covers.

He was now lying in his own bed with his tablet, wondering what the fuck he had done. Tony was the master of doubting his every thought, his every action, his every word. Especially when it came to this kid. This broken, crumpled, sweet-as-pie, kid. The rational, logical side of his brain was telling him that he did the right thing.

It was saying, “Don’t you remember his face? The way he cried into your neck? He needed this. Don’t shut him out because of your own selfish attachment issues you dumb fucker.”

But the emotion-run, illogical, untrusting, traumatized side of him was saying, “It’s too soon. He doesn’t want you to replace her. Stop trying to replace his dead family, you insensitive idiot. Let him have his space. These things take time. You'll fuck him up. You'll ruin him.”

The rational side would try to argue, but honestly Tony needed to shake both of the sides out of his head and go work on his damn machines. His mind went to Rhodey. Rhodey always knew when he was panicking about some new relationship and would tell him to snap the hell out of it and be with the kid that desperately needed him.

He would tell his mind Rhodey to shut up, but he couldn’t deny he was right. He rolled out of bed and groaned as his knees cracked from the pressure of standing up. He would just work in his lab for a few hours. “I’m not going to leave the kid by himself the whole day,” he reasoned with mind Rhodey.

He would come up for lunch and face Peter then. Face his fears of attachment then. Face the fact that he had a living breathing kid in his care. He was shutting down. Building up that familiar wall that kept important people out of his disaster of a life.

He recognized that he was doing this, and yet. He was too far into panic mode to do anything about it. He was going to visit Peter for lunch. They were going to. Make food. And . . . talk. He really wasn't cut out for this. Tony? Of all people? What kind of universe would ever trust TONY with a kid? What the hell was he going to do??

Sighing, he made his way down to the workshop. He would see Peter later.

He was gonna do lunch.

\---------------------------------------------

Peter woke up slowly and stretched out his limbs, having gotten some of the deepest sleep he’s had since being here at the tower. He blinked the crust out of his eyes and remembered that he had fallen asleep in Mr. Stark’s arms last night.

Sighing and sitting upright in his bed, Peter faced the realization that of course Mr. Stark wouldn’t stay here with him all night, he had better things to do. Besides, why would he want to sleep in the same bed as Peter anyway? Maybe that would be okay if they were comfortable enough with each other, but. They weren’t there yet. At least. . . Mr. Stark wasn’t.

Despite feeling the creeping loneliness take hold of him once again, he felt better today. It was the fifth day since the accident. He had been wallowing and sleeping so much that he hadn’t given himself time to think about anything other than May.

Her face was etched into his memory. He was grateful for that small comfort. Every wrinkle around her eyes, the way her long hair was always curled and slightly frizzy around her head. The looks she gave Peter when she always seemed to know what he was thinking.

Peter let out a heavy sigh again, thinking that sighing seemed to be the only thing he knew how to do now. He trudged out of his room and headed for the kitchen. He figured that since Tony had a sandwich for him last night, that there would probably be real food in the fridge.

He opened the door and his stomach rumbled at the sight of the fully stocked shelves. Grabbing a few bananas, he made a move to sit on the couch. He hadn't been to the living room yet, because he didn’t feel like it before now.

The couch was a smooth and expensive leather, but it was soft to the touch and comfier than any couch he had ever sat on. He figured he shouldn’t be surprised, everything Tony had in his home was annoyingly comfortable.

He was laid on the couch staring at the blank flat screen TV when his phone vibrated. He had forgotten about his phone or any notifications that came along with it. He didn't want to talk to anyone so he had simply powered off his phone a few days ago and only turned it on last night to idly scroll through twitter.

He looked down to see Ned was calling. Peter didn’t know if he felt like answering, but the guilt of ignoring his best friend for so long ate away at him and he reluctantly pressed answer.

“ _Peter?!_ Peter? Oh my god, Peter are you actually there??!”

“Hey Ned,” Peter exhaled softly.

“OH MY GOD,” Peter heard Ned breathe a heavy sigh of relief. “I have been so worried about you man! Why haven’t you answered any of my texts or calls? MJ is worried too, she said you hadn’t answered any of her texts or calls either . . .” He trailed off sounding unmistakably sad. Peter tried to ignore the feeling of his heart clenching in guilt.

“Hey man, I’m - I’m really sorry. About not responding. I -“ Peter sighed (again). “Uh, I - I - May died,” He blurted.

He could hear Ned’s sharp intake of breath.

“She - She got into a car accident. On Sunday. Night. And she-“ He drew in another big breath, “She didn’t -“ suddenly a sob wracked through him and he began to cry. Clutching his phone tight he wept as Ned scrambled to say something of comfort.

“Oh god, Peter. I’m so sor-“ he was cut off with another loud sob from Peter, “I’m so sorry.” He finished softly. “I wish I - I’m - I’m so sorry.”

After Peter's sobs turned to soft sniffles and Ned's soft reassurances died down, Ned whispered, “Where are you staying?”

Peters' face turned red again from the embarrassment of not telling his best friend what had been going on. “I’m - uh. Staying with Mr. Stark. In the Avengers Tower. I’ve got a room on his floor in the penthouse.” Peter braced himself for the inevitable explosion of excitement from Ned, but it never came.

"Wow. That's uh - that's cool I guess," Ned's gentle voice came through the phone. "How have you been? Well I mean. I shouldn't have asked that, sorry, you're probably not doing well considering. . ." Ned stumbled his way through that explanation awkwardly and quickly tried to change the subject to lighten the mood.

"So does Mr. Stark make you dinner and stuff?"

Peter cringed. He had barely seen Tony the entire time he was here, and he guessed the sandwich from last night counted, even if it remained untouched. "Uh, I haven't really - I haven't seen him much," he mumbled out.

"But he's busy! You know? He's got a whole ton he already has to worry about, and he shouldn't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself," Peter rushed out in defense of Tony and his absence.

"Yeah. Yeah, I get it, man," Peter could tell by the tone of his voice that Ned didn't like what he had said but had decided to move past it anyway. "Do you - uh - do you maybe feel up to hanging out? It's okay if you don't!" Ned asked tentatively.

Peter thought about it for a second and decided that it would probably do him good to get out of the penthouse. He didn't really feel up to it but decided that Ned didn't deserve the consequences of his own isolation. "Sure, Ned. Can I come by in like 45 minutes?"

"Yeah man, of course! Ah sick! I've missed you, Pete," Ned's smile could be heard through the phone and Peter felt a small smile creeping onto his face in return.

"Yeah. I've missed you too. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -"

Ned cut Peter off again and said, "Hey. No worries. I understand. I'll see you in a bit?"

"Yeah. Okay. See you soon," and for the first time in a week, Peter let himself smile.

After hanging up with his best friend, Peter felt energized and as if he could actually face the day. He didn't need Tony, he had Ned. And his spider suit. He ran to his room and grabbed the suitcase of things Happy had gathered from his apartment, including the suit.

A pang of sadness hit him as he remembered their empty apartment, collecting dust with all of May’s things. But once his fingers reached the article of clothing he was searching for, those thoughts fled his mind. He had told Ned 45 minutes because he decided he was going to swing around the city for a bit.

He hadn't been Spiderman since Sunday night, which really hadn't been _that_ long, certainly not the longest he's gone without patrolling, but he missed it. He wanted to feel the rush of the wind in his hair as he swung around, feel the pull of his muscles as he reached from building to building.

He wanted to feel the soft breeze he felt perched at the top of a skyscraper, watching the city bustle around. It was around 9:10 am and he had told Ned 9:45, so he had a bit of time to simply swing around. He put on his suit and hurried to his bedroom balcony. Just as he was about to jump off, he remembered that he should probably tell Mr. Stark where he was going.

Not that he would notice he was gone. Deciding to be responsible anyway, Peter scribbled out a note explaining that he was going to a friend's house for the day and left it on the kitchen counter.

If Mr. Stark came up for food, he would probably see it. And with that thought, Peter rushed to the balcony and leaped off, feeling distracted, exhilarated, and free.

\---------------------------------------------

It was 11 am and Tony was snapped out of his intense focus with a message from FRIDAY. "Boss, Captain Rogers is calling you."

Tony's face morphed into one of confusion and sat there for a few seconds but eventually said, "Answer."

"Hello? Tony?"

"Hey Cap, what's up?"

"Oh, I - I just wanted to check up on ya. . . Um, how are you? What's been going on?" Steve let out a nervous chuckle and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Tony's eyebrows furrowed together in even more confusion. He squinted his eyes in an attempt to figure out what Rogers was playing at, but shook his head when he came up with nothing.

"I'm doing alright. Um actually, funny that you ask. Remember Peter Parker? I think I've told you about him. Spiderman?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I remember him. From Queens right?" Steve stammered out a little too loudly.

Tony frowned at Steve's obvious nerves but continued on anyway, "Yeah he's from Queens. Well, kid is an orphan, right? And he was living with his Aunt May," Tony let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

"And she got into a car accident on Sunday night. She didn't make it. And Peter doesn't have any other living relatives. So he called me from the hospital, and I picked him up." Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "He's been here, holed up in his room since then." Tony's frowned deepened at the thought of the kid upstairs.

"Oh. Oh my goodness. So, he's living with you? Are you - are you going to adopt him?" Steve was clearly confused but didn't want to bombard Tony with a thousand questions.

Tony froze. Steve's question had stunned him into silence. Why had he never thought about the possibility of adopting Peter? Why had that not even crossed his mind? Yeah, sure, he was his temporary guardian.

But adopting a kid? Jesus Christ that was a whole other story. Well, would it be so bad? Scratch that. _Yes._ Yes it would. It would be terrible. Oh God, he would ruin the kid. That perfect kid.

After Tony's long silence, Steve spoke up, "Tony? Sorry I didn't mean to spring that on you. I - I just thought that maybe you had thought of that, but uh maybe not. Sorry," Steve finished sheepishly.

"No. That's okay. I - hadn't really thought of that." Tony said distractedly. He pushed the thought from his mind and hurried to change the subject, "So Rogers, what's got you so nervous, huh? Got a date or something?" He smirked.

"What? Uh - oh! Um no, haha, not really," And wow Steve was stammering more than he had ever heard before, "I'm actually in the tower lobby. Right now. I - haha - I - uh wanted to see you - er - talk to you, I mean . . ." Steve's voice trailed off and Tony could practically see the bright red blush on his face. He was starting to feel it on his own face as well.

"Oh! You're - You're _here?_ At the tower? In the lobby?" Tony couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "Uh. . . okay I'll come down then. See you in a few," Tony thought of Peter and his super-hearing and figured that having whatever conversation they were about to have in the living room would be a bit risky.

What conversation were they going to have? Hell if he knew. But he was about to find out. He would meet Steve down in the lobby and confront whatever voodoo magic had possessed Steve down there.

"Alrighty then. I'll stay put," Steve said and hung up the phone. Steve wrung his hands together nervously. He hadn't been this anxious since he had first met Tony. He picked up the bouquet of flowers he had gotten on his spontaneous walk over and rehearsed the words he had planned out for weeks now.

He hadn't planned to just show up here, unannounced and declare his love for Tony but he had felt compelled to go for it this morning, and he wasn’t going to back out now. It was too late for that. He rehearsed his speech in his mind as he waited. And now, he just had to work up the courage to say it.

Tony spent the time going down to the lobby questioning Steve's every word. He had seemed so nervous. What was this about? Why the hell would he just show up without calling and making sure he was even home, or to make sure he wasn't busy? Something was definitely fishy about this but his mind was a bit preoccupied.

He didn't actually know if Peter had left his room but figured he hadn't as FRIDAY hadn't said anything to him about it. Tony was concerned for Peter deep down but knew that he had to stay away. He would ruin this kid's life if he fully committed. He couldn't do that to him. He wouldn't.

This kid had a brighter future than most, and Tony was going to play no part in ruining that for the boy. He shook the thoughts of Peter out of his head and braced himself for this strange impromptu meeting with Steve. Maybe it was about a secret mission?

As the elevator opened and Tony stepped out, he immediately spotted the super soldier. He was sitting alone on a bench nearby, worriedly biting his bottom lip with blonde eyebrows stitched together.

He was staring at the floor and seemed to be very distracted, because he didn't even hear the elevator open. He looked like his mind was racing a mile a minute, so Tony thought he would help him out with that and get his attention.

"Hey Captain Crunch, got something on your mind?" Tony teased.

Steve startled as he looked up to see Tony standing right in front of him. He visibly gulped away the lump in his throat and reached for the bouquet of flowers laid next to him. "Um - Hey. These are - I saw them - uh I got these for you," Steve stammered with the reddest face Tony had ever seen.

Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You got flowers . . . for me?" He asked incredulously.

Steve cleared his throat. "Yes. And I - I just wanted to come here and tell you something - er - ask you something. I- If that's alright w- with you." Steve looked down at the floor and shoved the flowers into Tony's hands.

Jesus, Tony had never seen Cap like this before. The sight was making him a bit nervous as well. He guessed nerves were contagious. He grabbed the daisies and gave them a small sniff. "Y-yeah Cap. Shoot."

" _SoIjustwantedtosaythatIlikeyouandI'velikedyousincethedaywemet_ ," Steve rushed out. So much for his eloquent speech. He took a shuddering breath and wiped his sweaty hands on his pant legs. "Sorry. I should say that again," Steve let out another nervous chuckle as his eyes darted up to meet Tony's and found that the familiar warm brown helped to ground him.

"I - I just wanted to say, that I like you. I've uh - I've had a bit of a crush on you since the day we met, and I know I haven't really shown that I care for you all that well. But I do. And I realize you may not believe me with our history, but. . . I like you, Tony. And I - I wanted to see if maybe - maybe you might want to - uh go out sometime? With me?"

Tony listened in shock as Steve finished his speech. He blinked rapidly to try to process what he had just been told. Absently, he realized his mouth was hanging slightly open. He closed it. "Wow," he breathed. "This is - _wow_. Uh . . . Quite the surprise. Really gave me no warning there, huh cap?" He tried to joke to ease the tension but Steve only looked like he was going to be sick.

Tony grimaced at his badly timed joke and began to think about how he felt about Steve. Sure, he had always found him hot, he was built like a swimmer who wrestled on the side. Tall, broad shoulders, small waist, defined abs, toned legs. Yeah, Steve was definitely hook-up material.

But dating? Like _dating_ dating? He knew that's what Steve would want from this, he was Mr. America after all, and Tony could just tell that he was not one for a casual fling. But since when had Steve liked him? Tony was usually pretty good at picking up on these things, but he would never have suspected.

If his feelings were as strong as he claimed, he sure did a damn good job of hiding them. How would Steve Rogers even act on a date? The thought amused Tony a bit. He would be ever the gentleman, opening doors, pulling out chairs. Insisting on paying for the date, even if he knew Tony was perfectly capable.

Tony cringed at the traditional values Steve would inevitably have. But then again, would that be so bad? To be treated right for once? Tony mulled over these thoughts before coming to the conclusion that maybe a date or two wouldn't hurt him.

He did need to go out more, and maybe Steve would be the bit of fun he needed right now. A distraction from his other distraction, the one laying in bed with a dead family on his mind.

Steve felt like he was going to throw up and wanted to retract his words the moment they left his mouth. Tony hadn't said anything for so long, he was definitely going to vomit. He shouldn't have sprung this on him, he should never have said anything at all, this was such a mistake. The _biggest mistake_ , oh God, things would never be -

"Sure, Steve. Let's go out," Tony's acceptance quickly cut Steve's rampant thoughts off.

"W- _what?_   You - you want to go out with me?" Steve blinked at Tony, mouth wide and absolutely stunned.

"That's what I said. You wanna call me sometime tonight? We can figure something out to do then if you have the time. Thanks for the flowers, Steve, they're beautiful," And with that, Tony gave Steve a small smile and calmly walked over to the elevator, leaving him where he sat.

The only thing that ran through Steve's mind was _HOLY SHIT_.  
 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAYYY so I added the Stony that a few people have requested! It will be a bit of a slow burn, but there it is. Steeb has been pining after Antonio, and finally makes a move!1! Antonio is flattered, and decides why the hell not. but he's got a lot on his mind! how will this work? we will seeee! how do you think tony will react when he realizes his spiderbaby is missing from the tower?? sound off in the comments what you thought of this chapter!! :)


	5. i’m sorry if i say i need you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst. That's the summary. Honestly could be a lot more angst, but there's deffo a little bit. And Tony and Peter actually talk. Like for real this time. Yeehaw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey heyyyyy so i updated!! pretty soon!! we didn't have to wait a full six months lolllzzz. uhhh this chapter is so damn long! so enjoy :)))
> 
> as always, title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :)

Tony made his way back to his workshop with the daisies in his hand and a soft smile on his face. He was going on a date tonight. First time in a long time, he was actually going to go on a date.

He made his way to the workshop and suddenly remembered Peter as he sat down. Checking his watch, he saw that it was 11:30 am. He reasoned that lunch could be eaten later and that Peter probably wasn't even awake yet. He could stay down here and work for a few more hours.

Tony was brought out of his intense focus with a reminder from FRIDAY.

"Sir, it is now 3 pm and I would remind you that you were planning on eating lunch with Mr. Parker."

Shit. It's already 3? Tony wiped his hands on his messy jeans and rolled away from his desk on his chair. They could still do dinner, or, maybe this would be considered a late lunch/dinner? Either way, he knew he should check up on the kid and see if he's alright.

He got into the elevator and ordered FRIDAY to take him to the penthouse. "Fri, Peter's awake, right?"

"He woke up around 8:40 am, Boss. He has been gone from the tower since 9:15 am."

Tony whitened and gripped the elevator railing. He's gone? Why did he leave? Where did he go? Oh, god. Okay, no need to panic, there had to be a reason Peter would leave the tower without telling him. He was probably worrying for nothing. Tony tried to steady his voice and asked, "Did he say where he was going?"

"No sir, he did not. However, he jumped from his bedroom balcony in his Spiderman suit." His elevator door opened and he stumbled out into the living room and sat on the couch.

He _WHAT_? Peter had gone patrolling?? In the state of mind, he was currently in? Mourning, unstable, Peter, probably still crying, swinging dangerously from skyscraper to skyscraper? For six hours? Oh god, oh god, _oh god_. Oh GOD. Okay. Stay calm.

"FRIDAY, can you connect to Karen? Give me a reading of his vitals."

"I'm sorry, boss. Karen is currently offline."

That could mean one of two things. Either Peter was dangerously hurt and the suit was offline because it had been destroyed, or he wasn't in the suit at all. Tony knew he preferred the second option but it could honestly mean something just as bad. If he was still out of the tower, and not in his suit, what would he be doing??

"FRIDAY can you give me the last known location of his suit?"

"On it, boss. It looks like Peter's last known location was an apartment complex in Woodside, Queens. Address, 25-60 50th St. Unit 3, zip code 11377." **(A/N: this is a real apartment address in queens lmao).**

Tony's eyebrows knitted together. The place sounded familiar, but he knew it wasn't Peter's old apartment because Peter and May had lived in Forest Hills, Queens. Not Woodside. So Peter wasn't in his old apartment building but he was nearby enough for it to seem strange. What could he be doing there? And without his suit on?

Tony felt a headache coming on and he rubbed at his temples. He figured he would need some coffee in his system before he attempted to do anything about Peter's situation. Moving into the kitchen to grab his favorite mug and begin the coffee maker, he saw a sticky note near the sink.

"Mr. Stark, I am going to my friend Ned's house for a bit. I should be back sometime tonight. - Peter"

Relief flooded Tony's system and he felt his eyes closing as he let out a shuddering breath. His kid was safe. He was visiting a friend and he was safe. Thank god. Tony shook his head lightly at his freak out and proceeded to make his coffee.

Hang on a minute - "sometime tonight"? That was extremely vague. Did he mean to sound inconspicuous or was that just the way a teenager spoke? When should he expect him? When should he freak out a second time if he hadn't come home? He had never done this parenting thing. What was an acceptable curfew? How long did kids usually stay at their friend's houses?

It wouldn't hurt to text the kid himself and go straight to the source. "Hey, kid. Got your note. When will you be coming home?" He pressed send and with that, Tony decided he would have to wait. Hopefully not long, as the fear of his kid being missing was still all too real, but kids were usually quick to respond nowadays, right?

The worry was still there so he decided he would make his coffee and just wait for the kid to show up. He wouldn't be able to focus on his machines anyway so he might as well sit down, relax, and watch some mind-numbing television. Criminal minds was usually his go-to, but the episodes filled with danger, kidnappings, serial killers, and rapists would not soothe his current state of anxiety.

His next go-to was Star Trek. It made him think of the kid, and the time they spent briefly discussing their shared love for the series. He took another shuddering breath and tried to shove his anxiety deep down. It was a classic show and would do well to distract him.

An hour had passed and Tony had not let go of his phone. He was gripping it tightly and couldn't stop staring at his unanswered text. Logically, he knew the kid was safe. He was with a friend, most likely from high school, and they were probably doing something nerdy, like playing with Legos. Peter had mentioned he and a friend built the sets sometimes.

Despite himself, Tony felt his lips tugging up into a soft smile as he thought fondly of the usually carefree boy. It quickly dropped from his face once he realized he still had not gotten an answer from him. Tony knew his fear was irrational but he couldn't stop it. It was a full force train heading towards him and the only stop lever was Peter, returned safely home.

He would call him again, maybe shoot him another text. He didn't need to worry. Peter was fine. He was fine. Right?

\---------------------------------------------

Peter had a great time with Ned. They had been working on the Millenium Falcon these past few weeks before . . . well, before May. They decided they were going to finish it by the time summer was over, and working on it today was a welcome distraction.

Ned hadn't made him talk about it, even though Peter felt like he needed more of an explanation. Ned just waved him off and brought out the half-finished spaceship with a smile. Peter really appreciated his friend. He felt like shit for not responding to any of MJ's texts or calls either, so Ned helped him text her what was going on.

She quickly responded that she understood and that she was really sorry for Peter. He knew he was going to get fake apologies for his circumstances for the rest of his life, but he knew MJ's was genuine. Both of his friends knew how much Peter loved May, and knew how badly this would affect him.

They were quick to dismiss his behavior and his apologies, and Peter felt a weight lift off of his chest that he didn't realize had been there. Having their support somehow made things seem a bit easier to handle. Like with them by his side, he could face the pain.

Besides texting MJ back, Peter hadn't looked at his phone all day. He wanted to spend his day relaxing and laughing with his best friend and didn't want the distraction. In hindsight, he probably could have looked at it, even once . . . but hindsight is always 20/20 right?

He was on his way back to the tower when he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had decided to walk there because he wanted the fresh air and wanted to listen to the comforting bustle of the city he knew so well. Peter knew the general direction of the tower but didn't know how to get there on foot, so he decided to turn his phone back on to check google maps.

He glanced at the screen and found 11 texts and 5 missed calls from Mr. Stark. Well shit. So much for him not noticing he was gone, right? Peter grimaced and figured he should call Mr. Stark back on his way home, just to let him know he was okay. After two dials, Tony picked up.

"Peter? Jesus. Where are you? Are you okay?" Peter could hear the worry in his mentor's voice and he grimaced again. It was only 10 o'clock but Peter could tell he had been worrying for a while.

Peter let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, h- hey Mr. Stark. Um, I'm fine. I was at my friend's house and now I'm walking home."

There was silence on the other end for a while and Peter grew increasingly nervous. Then he heard a sigh. "Okay kid, be safe. I'll be waiting for you," and with that, Tony hung up.

Peter was absently biting at his bottom lip. How upset was Mr. Stark? Why was he upset anyway? He had left a note. Why was he worried about him? It wasn't like he actually cared where he was or what he was doing, he had only come to check up on him once. Once! In nearly a _week_. Peter's guilt slowly turned to irritation. Mr. Stark had no right to make him feel bad for going out to see his friend. He was practically an adult!

He shouldn't make him feel bad for wanting to spend time with his best friend. The breeze picked up and Peter shivered in his light jacket as he was walking along the sidewalk. The longer he walked, the more his anger built. He was allowed to hang out with friends without Tony's permission. With a hard resolve of anger, Peter walked into the tower lobby and pressed the button for the elevator.

When the doors of the elevator opened to the penthouse, however, his anger dissipated immediately. Mr. Stark was pacing in the living room, head down, hand over his mouth, and forehead wrinkled. With the soft ding of the elevator as it opened, Tony's head whipped up to stare at Peter.

Peter could feel his eyes scanning him for injury, and when he found none, his wide eyes stared into Peter's. Peter saw a flash of relief and concern in his face, and his guilt returned tenfold as he squirmed.

"Hey, Peter. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Tony wiped his face of the emotions he was feeling and spoke with a steady voice. Peter nodded at his request and moved to sit opposite of him on the couch facing away from the armchair.

Tony couldn't help but sigh again. What had he gotten himself into with this kid? "Peter, I - I was really worried about you today. I know you left a note, but you didn't answer my calls, and . . ." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Peter hated it when people were mad at him. He especially hated it when adults were mad at him. Against his will, he felt tears welling up in his eyes and he fiercely tried to wipe them away.

"Mr. Stark, I'm - I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have -" He hiccuped and tried to fight back the incoming sob, "I should have checked my phone, please don't be mad!" He shut his eyes to keep his tears from falling and brought his legs up onto the couch so he could hide his face in his knees. It was so embarrassing to be crying right now!

"Kid, I'm not mad. I was just worried is all. I texted you at 3 and you didn't come home until, what time is it? 10?" He chuckled softly, trying to ease the boys' nerves and meet his eyes, "That's just a long time to worry about where you were or when you were coming home."

"I know. I am really sorry Mr. Stark. I just didn't think you would care where I was . . ." his soft reply dropped off and he stared intently at the marble floor.

Tony blinked in surprise. "You didn't think I would care where you were? How - how could you think I don't care? Peter, everything I've done for you has been because I care so much about you - how could you - I'm shocked you think I don't care!" Tony's rose with each word and soon he was practically yelling at Peter.

Peter cringed at his raised voice, but felt his own frustration rise as he yelled back, "How was I supposed to know that? You've never once told me that directly, and it doesn't help your case that you ignored me for nearly a week! I was here, in the tower, by myself. For a week! And you - you only came to see me ONCE. How was I supposed to know you cared, Tony?!" Peter was breathing heavily and had finally lifted his head to make determined eye contact with Tony. "Look, I am really grateful for everything you've done for me, I really am. But -"

“No, kid, I'm going to stop you right there. I - I'm sorry." Now it was Tony's turn to slump. Tony looked hurt, but not by Peter's outburst. He was upset because he knew he had messed up bad with Peter, and his confession just proved it. He had been trying to stay out of his life to prevent himself from messing up, but that very thing was what hurt Peter the most.

"I know I've been horrible at this. I have no idea what I have been doing, or what I am supposed to do. This is very new to me. I think - I think what we both need, is to be very honest and upfront with one another, right? That way we can understand each other and where we're both coming from," His voice had lowered and he tried hard to sound calm and kind.

Peter's eyebrows relaxed and he felt scared and guilty again. It was really hard to be honest about what he needed, without sounding clingy and childish. How was he supposed to tell the man that had given him so much already, that he needed even more from him? How was he supposed to tell his mentor, that he needed more hugs? God, it was so embarrassing and needy. But he knew it would be best to get it over with and end the suffering alone now, while he had the chance. "I guess we can do that," he whispered.

"Okay," Tony took a deep breath. "You first, kiddo and how about you come sit here with me," He patted the small space next to him on the armchair. "I think it would be easier if you aren't looking directly at me, right?" Tony suggested.

Peter's initial hesitation at having to explain himself quickly mixed with surprise at the request. Somehow, though, it felt like it would help. He stood up and blushed as he had to squeeze in next to Tony on the chair. He felt tense and was about to move to stand up, because this was highly embarrassing and definitely a mistake, before Tony's arm wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into his chest. Oh. That was kinda nice. The gesture immediately worked to calm Peter down and he let himself relax.

Peter looked up into Tony's face and saw his gentle brown eyes nod for him to speak his mind. Peter looked away and rested his head back against Tony's shoulder.

"So when I'm sad. I usually uh - I usually don't like to be alone. I sorta - I kinda n - need someone? To be with me." Peter cleared his throat in an attempt to bring it back down to its normal register. He squirmed a bit and took a deep breath. "May always - she would hold me, or just sit with me, or w - we would just watch a movie on the couch. I - I don't like to be alone when I'm sad. I know that a lot of people do, uh like to be alone, but I - if I'm alone, I think. Too much. And when someone sits with me, I can stay distracted. And then I - then I don't have to hear my own thoughts. . ." Peter trailed off and let out the breath he had been holding. He closed his eyes to wait for Tony's response.

"Okay good. That was really good, Peter. I'm proud of you for telling me that. I know it's not easy to ask for things, you know, even if it's something we need. I am going to do better Peter. I promise. If I'm being honest here, I am way out of my league with this whole," he waved his hand in Peter's direction, "This whole having a kid thing. Everyone knows I have daddy issues, that much has been established. I guess I let them, I don't know, I let my issues get in the way of a lot of my relationships. Relationships that matter to me. I've let my shit ruin good, solid, relationships, Pete. It's - it's a big roadblock I face." After a short silence, Tony drew in a large breath and shook his nervousness aside. "But I promise, now that I understand what you need from me, and I can't try to tell myself anything different, I will try my hardest to be that person for you. I'm here for you, Peter. Do you understand? We're in this together." He squeezed Peter’s shoulders to emphasize his point. 

Somewhere around halfway into Tony's speech, Peter's tears had begun to fall freely. He was overwhelmed with the warmth and honesty and dare he say it, love, that was coming from his mentor. Peter nodded. "I think I'm okay with that," he turned his head to smile at Tony to show the man he meant it. His gentle smile was easily returned.

Their eyes met, and this time Peter didn't look away. The sincerity he found in Mr. Stark's eyes was so strong, he felt a blush heating up his cheeks again and instead of turning outward again, Peter took a chance and turned his face into Tony's chest. He brought his left arm around Tony's waist and squeezed. He was still feeling very overwhelmed, and frankly, his mind was spinning. Tony's hold grounded him and reminded him of his Aunt.

Tony sat there and rested his chin on the boys head. He remembered that his rocking from last night seemed to soothe the boy, so he did just that. They sat there in silence for what could have been five hours but was really only 45 minutes. When Peter's quiet sobs had died down, Tony felt an inexplicable urge to lean down and press a kiss the boy's cheek.

Peter seemed to freeze for a second and Tony worried he had made a mistake, but then he relaxed again and seemed to snuggle further into his chest. Tony’s heart seemed like it would burst at the adorable kid’s actions. When Tony spoke again he kept his voice soft, "Hey, Petey," _Petey_ , what the hell, where had that come from? "I think you've had a long enough day already. How about we get some rest?" He rubbed his hand up and down Peter's back in soothing motions.

"Yeah. I'm actually kinda tired," Peter yawned. Tony let out a laugh and Peter climbed off of Tony's lap to move to his bedroom. Tony followed him in and as Peter laid down, he sat next to him on the bed. He ran a hand through his curls and asked, "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Fearing he wouldn't be able to get the actual words out, Peter nodded and his eyes darted down to his covers in fear of judgment. However, when he chanced a look at Tony's face to gauge his reaction, he saw nothing but love and patience.

"Alright kiddo. I'll stay with you." Tony moved to the other side of the bed and sat up against the headboard. He rested his hand in Peter's hair again and heard Peter let out a little sigh. Smiling fondly, Tony let the boy nearly cuddle his leg as he stretched out and made himself comfortable.

He carded his fingers through the slight tangles softly until he was sure Peter had fallen asleep. Once he had, Tony slowly inched his way off of the bed and moved to the kitchen to grab himself a late night snack. In his worry, he had forgotten to eat any sort of meal and he was starving, even if that was quite typical.

Still smiling from tonight's success, he opened the fridge and grabbed a banana. Tony decided it was still early to go to sleep, for him anyway, as it was only 11:30, so he would work on answering emails for a while. He brought out his tablet and began working when a thought made him jolt.

Oh shit. He had forgotten Steve! In his worry and anxiety for his kid's safety, he had completely forgotten that he was supposed to set up a date with Steve tonight. _Goddamnit_. Sighing, he thought he might as well try calling Cap now in case he forgot to tomorrow. Chances are that he was already asleep and he wouldn't pick up, but his phone was already dialing so he would just leave a voicemail.

\---------------------------------------------

Steve had spent all afternoon waiting for a text from Tony. When he hadn't gotten one by 7 pm, he came to the conclusion that either Tony had forgotten, or that he changed his mind. He tried convincing himself that Tony had simply forgotten because he was always so busy. And besides, he had that teenager to think about now. He was probably just preoccupied. Resigned to the fact that he wouldn't get a response tonight, he decided to spend his night sketching.

He had not expected to get a call from Tony tonight, so when he heard his ringtone at almost midnight he squinted in confusion. Seeing it was Tony calling, Steve's eyebrows shot up and he hurried to answer it.

"Hello? Tony?"

"Oh! Steve, you're awake? I didn't expect you to be up," the surprise was clearly evident in Tony's voice.

"Yes, I'm up. I was just - sketching," Steve thanked God this was a phone conversation and Tony couldn't see his blush.

"Right. Well, I was just calling to say that, I'm sorry. For not texting you earlier. Something came up with the kid - well I lost him for a few hours, and I was really worried and just forgot. About our date. I'm sorry, I really am -," Tony shut himself up and inwardly cursed himself for sounding like such an idiot.

"Hey, no worries. I understand. I mean you lost the kid, oh God, is Peter okay? I'm assuming you found him because you don't exactly sound panicked anymore," Steve really hoped Peter was okay. And of course he was a little disappointed he didn't get to go on that date tonight, but he completely understood why Tony had forgotten.

"Yeah, yeah sorry I should've said I found him," Tony laughed, "But about our date. I still want to do it. If you do too."

"Yes! Yes, I want to," Steve cringed at the eagerness in his voice and cleared his throat hard. "How about tomorrow night? I know a great place for sushi. You like sushi, right?"

Tony smiled at Steve's excitement. It was cute. "Yeah, I like sushi, but do you? I didn't think Mr. America had a taste for raw fish."

"Oh well, I don't, not really. But I know you do. And I like their teriyaki bowls," Steve stammered out. God, when was he going to be able to speak normally around Tony? Was he ever going to get past these butterflies?

"Well, alright then. Sushi it is. Tomorrow night. Pick me up at 7. See you tomorrow, Steve," Tony finished. He was honestly flattered that Steve was willing to take him to a sushi place despite his distaste for it. It was kinda romantic.

"Okay! I'll see you then. Sweet dreams, Tony." And with that, he quickly hung up. Are you kidding? _SWEET DREAMS_?? He wasn't five years old! What the hell, Steve! Pull yourself together for god's sake.

Tony was glad Steve had hung up before be could respond because he was honestly speechless. His face was glowing red partially from embarrassment, and partially because that was the cutest goddamn thing anyone had ever hung up on him with. Huh. This was definitely going to be an interesting date.

Tony got up from the couch and decided he would work better in bed. He opened Peter's door a crack and peeked in to make sure the boy was still sleeping. Feeling satisfied with the sight, he went to his room and ordered FRIDAY to alert him up if Peter was having a nightmare. Before opening his tablet he sat in bed, thinking over the events of the day.

This happened to be one of the longest Fridays of his life. But it was a good one. Even though he didn't think he would make progress with Peter, they had made great progress. And he got asked out by Captain America! That was certainly a surprise. He let himself smile. Feeling optimistic about the future for the first time in a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yayyyyy so they got super honest!! there were some tears, but they made it through :'). tony is starting to understand what peter needs. and steve! they've got a date planned ;) yeehawwwww. thanks for reading everyone!! comment what you thought! i love reading comments


	6. i think i might give up everything, just ask me to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter have a very fluffy pancake breakfast. And I'm not talking about the pancakes being fluffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> update! yay! look at me being consistent :))) umm so I've wanted tony to call peter baby for a while now, cause it's hella adorable, and he does. so i think y'all will enjoy! i'll probably update sometime next week, if i get the chance to write. much love
> 
> as always, title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am in denial that they’re gone :) HOWEVER! this lyric specifically is from my absolute favorite one direction song, “if i could fly” it is meant to be from tony’s perspective when he realizes how much he cares for peter baby 🥺

Peter woke up with a loud yawn. He stretched out over his bed slowly and looked to his left, and upon seeing the bed was empty, sat up and slouched. He wasn't exactly expecting Mr. Stark to stick by him 24 hours of the day, but he was hoping that after their conversation last night, that he would wake up to him there.

Rubbing the crust out of his eyes and blinking them into focus, he stood up out of bed and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Before he could make his way over to the bathroom his enhanced sense of smell caught a whiff of something sweet. It smelled like . . . breakfast? Huh. Did Mr. Stark have Happy pick-up pancakes for them?

Now excited at the prospect of pancakes, he hurried to brush his teeth and get dressed. He was shucking off the jeans he had slept in the night before and asked FRIDAY for the time.

"It is currently 9:41 am, Mr. Parker."

"It's just Peter, FRIDAY. Please," He added on the please and hoped she would heed his words this time.

"Of course, Peter." Peter nodded and grabbed a science pun t-shirt and pulled it on as he walked out his door. The smell was getting stronger and he couldn't help but run to the kitchen, barely missing a collision with the marble top island.

He let out a noise of shock with his mouth hanging wide open at the sight in front of him.

Hearing Peter's ungraceful entrance, Tony looked away from the pan and turned to where the boy was now sitting on a barstool at the counter. He laughed and was left with a genuine smile on his face when he saw Peter's disheveled bed head and wide mouth.

"Good morning Petey. I thought I would make us some pancakes. You like chocolate chip? What am I saying, of course you do. What kid would turn down sweets," He laughed again at his own joke, sent another warm smile towards Peter and turned to the (now possibly burning) pancakes.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, chocolate chip is good," Peter's couldn't help but smile at his mentor's dumb comment and shook his head. Mr. Stark was making breakfast for them. He would never have imagined this scenario, _ever_. "Since when can you cook?" He asked incredulously.

"Hey, give me more credit than that. I'll have you know I can make a mean chicken parm. Ask Rhodey, it's his favorite." He flipped some finished pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter onto the stove.

Suddenly, Peter felt guilty. Tony didn't have to do this, this was too much. Was this because of what he said last night? He really didn't need to go out of his way to do all of this for him. It was Monday and Peter was sure Tony had work to do.

"Mr. Stark, you really didn't need to do all of this just because of what I said last night, it's fi--"

"Woah, Underoos. I'm not doing this because I feel like I have to or because of anything you said, if that's what you're thinking. Monday morning pancakes is a tradition! Rhodey and I used to make them every Monday back at M.I.T. and I thought it could be fun to start it back up again," Tony hummed as he flipped the pancakes and glanced over his shoulder to gauge the kid's reaction.

"Oh okay. That's nice," Peter blushed a little and smiled down at his twiddling hands rested on the counter.

He saw Peter's instant relief and felt a little sad. He shouldn't feel like he was a burden, ever. Tony was determined to make sure he knew he wasn't, no matter how long it took.

Once he felt like he had made enough pancakes to feed a superhero teenager with highly enhanced metabolism, he flipped the last pancakes off the stove and onto the heavy plate. "Hey kid, grab the syrup and utensils and bring them over to the dining table. Might be nice to use it every once in a while, yeah?"

"Yeah, that sounds . . . nice," Peter's small smile hadn't left his face and he moved to grab the requested items. He felt a warmth in his chest at how good of a mood Tony seemed to be in. He wondered if he was the cause. They reached the table and Peter saw that Tony had set them both up with a glass of orange juice.

"So, Petey. I've got a bit of work to do today," Tony started once they had both settled into their chairs, "I have a few meetings that Pepper is dragging me to from 11 to 2, and then I have a . . a meeting with Rogers around 7. It'll probably go to 9, maybe a bit earlier," Tony had decided last night that he wasn't going to let Peter know about his date with Steve. Unless he became serious with him, which, if we're being honest, would definitely never happen. So no need to worry about that anyway.

"Oh yeah. That's cool. What's the meeting about?" Peter bit into the chocolate chip pancake and held back a moan at how good they were. Tony wasn't kidding about knowing how to cook. There was that nickname again though. “Petey.” He had been saying it all morning, and when Peter thought about it a little longer, he found he didn't actually mind it. He knew Tony liked nicknames, and it wasn't the worst nickname he had ever gotten. And okay. Maybe it made him feel a little love. He also secretly loved that Tony was telling him about his day and his plans. They seemed unimportant, and it wasn't really necessary for him to tell Peter exactly where he would be at all times during the day, but it was heart-warming nonetheless.

Peter felt special being let into his day like this. Tony had never told him about his day or his plans before, and Peter felt like they were making real progress. This was the beginning of what felt like happiness at something that seemed so small, and Peter was kinda excited about it. It was a great distraction from his pain. He was doing well shoving that down and focusing on the now. May had never really been a great cook, and she had only tried making pancakes for them twice, both times ending up nearly burning the kitchen down, before deciding to quit the attempts altogether. Peter was glad that this wasn't something to remind him of home. This was new, and it was only theirs. And damn he couldn't get enough of these pancakes.

Tony thought up the first excuse that came to his head and said, "He wanted to tell me about some updates he wanted to his suit. And he wanted me to help him set up his social media accounts," Tony snickered to himself at his own "cap was technologically challenged joke" and shoveled more pancake into his mouth.

Peter also let out a little laugh and nodded. He grabbed three more pancakes from the pile and slathered them in syrup. Mr. Rogers needed help setting up his Twitter account? The thought made him snort again.

"Woah there pal. Drowning my pancakes in syrup also drowns out their perfection. Take it easy." Tony fixed him a fake stern face so Peter could tell he was just teasing.

Peter rolled his eyes but found himself smiling at the morning he was having. This may have been one of the best mornings he's had in a long time. Not that any of it was May's fault; she was always working to keep up with the bills, but still. This was really nice.

"Anywaaaay, I was thinking of going patrolling again today," And with that, he felt a bit of nerves creep up. He wasn't actually sure if Mr. Stark was going to be okay with that after last night. "Um, I - yeah. I wanted to go check out Queens for a bit, you know. Cause I haven't been in a while and . . . I wanna make sure everything hasn't gotten out of control down there," Peter bit his lip nervously and tried to read Tony's expression but couldn't while the man was chewing.

"Yeah, Petey. That's fine. As long as you feel 100% up to it, though," Tony's reassuring tone turned serious, "I don't want you to be distracted while you're out there. I need you to be clear-headed. If you think you can manage that, then I have no problem with you patrolling tonight." Tony looked into Peter's eyes to make sure the boy knew he wasn't joking around.

God forbid Peter went out there, feeling as distressed and upset as he had felt the past few days. It was never safe to try and fight anyone without a clear head. Tony should know, he had done it often enough without one that he had learned the consequences. Sometimes it couldn't be helped, but Tony wanted Peter to know he was not going to condone any dangerous and distracted swinging.

Peter felt relieved at Tony's words and briefly felt a bit annoyed with his babying, before shrugging it off. He did see where he was coming from. It could be dangerous if he wasn't in the right mindset, and Peter knew he could get himself hurt. Tony's concern would normally annoy the hell out of him but he felt cared for, and secure. Secure was a great word to describe how he felt with Tony. He wasn't floundering in his thoughts or abandonment anymore. He liked that Tony made him feel like someone was looking out for him.

"Yeah, of course. I feel up to it. Trust me," And Peter felt an inexplicable urge to feel trusted by Tony. And where the hell had that come from? That was very sudden. He desperately wanted his trust and faith in him. Luckily he didn't have to wait long before, "I do, kid. Just be careful, yeah? And please be home by 9 tonight?" Peter could sense the urgency in Tony and didn't want to disappoint him like he did the night before. Still, nine was really early. He could get past it though, he had the whole day ahead of him to patrol.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be home by 9. I promise." Peter smiled at him to reassure him that he meant it.

"Good," Tony breathed. "Alright then, I've gotta get ready for my meetings with Pep. I'll clear the dishes, you can go on ahead," Tony stood up and began collecting their breakfast dishes.

"Okay. See you tonight!" Peter beamed at Tony and felt the excitement of patrolling wash over him. He stood up and dashed out of the kitchen, and had made it halfway down the hall before hearing,

"Have fun, baby."

Peter froze. Thank god he was already in the hall where Tony couldn't see him because _holy shit_ he was immediately beet red. _Baby_? Oh my god. That was so embarrassing!! Peter shook his head and hid his red face in his hands. But. Somehow, it made him feel, . . . even more loved than the other nicknames. Was he okay with Mr. Stark calling him baby? Oh god. It should be _extremely_ embarrassing and he should march back into the kitchen to tell him never to call him that again. But he didn't want to. He really didn't. Because maybe he liked it? It was - kinda sweet. It made Peter feel . . . like he belonged. Peter rushed into his room, shut the door and quickly changed into his suit. Without another thought, he leaped from the balcony and hoped the breeze would cool down his flaming red cheeks.

After letting that slip, Tony immediately sat down. The boy was out of sight, so he grabbed his face and rubbed at his forehead. _What the fuck?_   Where the hell did "baby" come from? What was he thinking? Oh god, he probably pushed the kid away for good. Seriously, where did that name come fr- Oh. OH. Tony sighed. His mother used to call him that. Way back when. Up until she died, she called him baby. He had found it annoying and embarrassing when he was young, but grew into it and began to find it endearing when he left for college. The term made him feel special, and more importantly, loved. With Peter, it just slipped out, without a second thought to warn him against it. It felt . . . _natural_. Like Peter was his baby. Which, woah woah woah that was an intense thought. Peter, his baby? That was. Woah.

But again, he couldn’t shake that it felt. Natural. Like he was meant to say it. He hoped he wasn't pushing the boy away by using the pet name but honestly, if it brought Peter half of the love he felt when his mother called him that? Then he wasn't going to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment what you thought of this chapter!! and comment what you want to happen with steve and tony’s date! i’m debating writing the whole date out, or just skimming over it vaguely. what would you guys prefer?? let me know 💞💞


	7. the summertime and butterflies all belong to your creation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes patrolling and Tony has a date :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyoneeee! thanks for reading! this stony date is pretty fluffy im ngl lollll. kudos and comments are always highly appreciated!!! 
> 
> as always, the chapter title is taken from a one direction song because i stan them and am still in denial that they're gone :))) this chapter title is from the POV of steve when thinking of tony!! anywaaay enjoy the chapter!

  
Peter had been patrolling since 10:30 this morning and he was starting to feel the ache in his muscles from swinging around for seven hours. It was a good ache though. It felt like he was normal again. Like nothing was wrong, nothing was out of the ordinary. He could briefly escape to a time when he would come home to May reading a book on the couch or ordering takeout for the two of them.

Peter was looking out over the lively city from the roof of one of his favorite skyscrapers. He would routinely come here to look out over the city and admire its beauty. This was also a great place to watch the sunsets from. Peter sighed as his thoughts wandered to May again.

His eyes filled with tears and he quickly tried to blink them away. He was angry at himself. He rubbed his eyes hard because he knew that no matter how long it's been, he will always be broken. May's death was the last straw and he didn't know if his pieces could ever be put back together to make him whole the way he used to be. There would always be a missing piece. A hole in him where there once was love, stability, and happiness.

Peter rubbed at his face again and decided he was going to stop thinking about her. He just needed to deny all thoughts of her that tried to enter his mind. It would be better to just move on and ignore his crippling despair. He could push it down deep as he had done before. The feelings had eventually erupted into a massive mental breakdown after a while, but it was easier dealing with it all at once than carrying it around with him wherever he went. Even if that process was highly unhealthy.

Whatever. Peter didn't care which way was the "healthy" way to cope, he didn't care what he was "supposed" to be doing to get past the pain. He knew what worked, and that was pushing the sadness down far enough that it wouldn't bother him anymore. He was fine.

Peter stood on the edge of the roof, turned around, closed his eyes and fell backward. He let himself freefall for around 10 seconds before he webbed to the nearby building. He loved the adrenaline that never failed to course through him as he let himself drop, if only for a few seconds, before catching himself again. Nothing beat that rush and that high he felt.

Swinging around, he told Karen to actively scan for suspicious activities. He really wanted to stop a bad guy right now. It would definitely boost his mood to web some idiot up against a wall. He thought that after finding someone he might as well stop for some dinner as it was almost 6 and he was starting to feel pretty hungry.

Remembering what Tony said about his curfew, he told Karen to set an alarm for 8:30 so he had enough time to get home and prevent Mr. Stark from freaking out again. With that, Peter spotted a man trying to hack into an ATM machine and grinned to himself. This was too easy.

\---------------------------------------------

After Tony's unbearably boring meetings with Pepper ended he came back to the tower to get some work done on his current project before he had to get ready for his date. He had a few hours to kill before Steve would pick him up. Wow, he was actually going on a date tonight. With THE Captain America. He made his way to his workshop but the prospect of the date clouded his thoughts.

How would Steve act on a date? Had he even been on a date since coming out of the ice? Ah what was he thinking, he was Captain America. Of course he had gone on dates since then. He was sure that because girls were practically drooling over him on the daily, that he must have gotten a lot of action. But . . . had he ever gone out with a man before? Tony had more than enough experience for the both of them in that arena as he had always kept his sexuality very open, and had slept around a lot in college. Even though he was technically underage for most of his time at MIT, no one seemed to care, and Tony sure didn't.

Had Steve ever slept with a man? Tony was going to guess that that was a no, but he wasn't 100% sure. He did seem pretty chummy with Bucky for a while there, so maybe there was some sort of romantic history between them? Tony blinked to clear his head and decided to send Steve a confirmation text for tonight.

He wasn't nervous or anything, but it never hurt to make sure Steve wouldn't forget. Tony typed out, "Still on for 7?" and pressed send. He sat at his desk and got to work on his newest tech project. Not even two minutes later and he heard his phone go off.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world :)"

Oh. That was . . . not the response he was expecting. Tony felt his cheeks flush a bright red and warmth spread in his chest at the extremely cheesy, but _oh so adorable_ text from Steve. His brain supplied the, _Awwww._ He scoffed at the corniness but couldn't help feeling kinda special.

Suddenly feeling a bit insecure, Tony replied with a short thumbs up emoji. Oh god, if he was already blushing how was he going to survive tonight?? Tony groaned in premature embarrassment because he _KNEW_   he wasn't going to be able to keep it together tonight. Fuck.

Willing the blush to leave his face he got back to work and attempted to focus. That was proving to be a bit difficult as thoughts of America's ass flooded his mind. He rubbed his head to clear his focus but miserably failed. That doesn't mean he wouldn't keep trying though.

"Sir, it is now 6 pm and you should begin getting ready for your date with Captain Rogers," FRIDAY reminded him

"Thanks, FRI," Tony set his tools down and moved to the elevator. Fortunately, he had actually been able to focus on his work and zoned in like he normally could. On his way up to the penthouse, he began to feel nerves creeping up and into his throat, making him swallow heavily. What was up with him? He was Tony Stark. He didn't get nervous for dates, so what the hell was going on?

It was probably the fact that it just so happened to be his very own childhood hero that was taking him out. He had looked up to Captain Steve Rogers for as long as he could remember. Howard would rave about him more than any other man he ever knew. He never missed an opportunity to compare Tony to Steve, and while that led to their first meeting being quite intimidating, he knew that  
Steve wasn't the perfect specimen his father made him out to be. But if anyone was perfect, Steve was pretty damn close.

He reached his bedroom and went straight for the closet, not wasting any time. Since they were only going to sushi and not to some fancy dinner, Tony decided to dress in one of his usual go-to outfits. He threw on a plain black t-shirt and grabbed his black blazer with the red stripes down the side with the matching pants and threw them both on. He grabbed his Gendarme V cologne and sprayed it twice into the air before walking into the mist.

He went into the bathroom to do his hair and put his favorite pomade in it that always made it stay soft and fluffy but still give it shape. Tony decided he looked sharp but needed to add a pair of sunglasses to complete the look. He thumbed through his collection, trying a few different ones on before deciding on a nice red pair to go with the red stripes on his [suit](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/c0/50/57c050b177f4279c7c0f4d24030685ff.jpg).

By the time he had finished brushing his teeth, touching up his hair again to make sure it was perfect, and slipping on those black lace-up boots he loved, it was almost 7.

Tony went out into the living room and sat on the couch to wait for Steve to arrive at his floor. He could ask FRIDAY for an update on if he was in the tower because the waiting was making him a bit anxious, but he felt like that was unnecessary. A few minutes of Tony bouncing his leg later and Steve entered in from the elevator.

"Tony? Hey," Steve smiled warmly once he spotted him in the living room. And shit, he knew Cap was hot in a [suit](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/chris-evans-avengers-age-of-ultron-premiere-469637382-600x900.jpg), but it never failed to impress. "You look great Tony. You ready to head out?" Steve's smile hadn't left his face and judging by the looks of it, wouldn't any time soon. He had prepared himself for this date all day and maybe even practiced a bit with Bucky, but no one needed to know about that. He exuded confidence and warmth and Tony was pleasantly surprised at the shift in energies since they last talked in person. It was kinda hot.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm ready," Tony returned his smile and they both headed for the elevator. "So, Cap, how'd you learn about this sushi place?"

"Well, actually Nat showed it to me. When we were looking for Bucky a while ago, we spent some time together. I found out she is also a big fan of sushi," Steve chuckled and Tony's heart expanded at the sound. Okay, calm down. Don't swoon. _Tony Stark doesn't swoon_. Tony hummed in response and they finished the remainder of their ride in comfortable silence.

They reached the street and Steve hailed a taxi. Tony was going to suggest they take one of his Audi's but Steve was the one to ask him out and he didn't want to overstep. They got into the taxi and Steve gave the cabbie directions to the restaurant. They were sharing the back bench and Steve sat close to Tony; so close that their knees brushed against each other.

The ride only lasted a few minutes and it remained silent the whole way. Tony didn't mind it though. Normally he hated silences because he felt that they were tense and unwelcome, so he usually tried to fill the silences with his chatter. But strangely enough, it didn't feel tense or awkward with Steve. They were both content to simply brush knees and listen to the soft radio music coming from the stereo.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, Steve got out of the cab and held the door open for Tony. He felt himself blush a little as he muttered a small thanks. Steve just smiled his dopey smile in return and they made their way into the sushi place.

Tony nearly jumped when he felt Steve wrap his arm in his, effectively deepening his blush even further. Tony wanted to scoff at the old-timey escorting gesture but could only gulp. Seriously, had Steve and Tony switched bodies like some sort of Freaky Friday situation?? Why was he suddenly so nervous, and Steve so confident and smooth? What the hell was happening to him.

After speaking to the hostess at the front about their reservation, the two men walked arm in arm through the (nearly) empty restaurant. "How come it's so empty? What'd you say to them?" Tony huffed a laugh at the thought of Steve reserving the entire restaurant just for their date.

"I just told them we didn't want to be disturbed," Steve shot Tony a knowing smirk and they both sat down with their menus in front of them. Fat chance Steve didn't have to pay them quite a lot extra to reserve it for them. Tony felt that it was very thoughtful of Steve to think of something like that, and to actually make it happen? Well, that was incredibly sweet. As much as Tony liked to show off in the public eye, he did really enjoy and value his privacy.

"Thanks for doing . . . " Tony waved his hand around to indicate the emptiness of the restaurant, "this. I really appreciate the privacy," Tony had looked up from his menu to make eye contact with his date.

"Yeah, I like the privacy too. And you're welcome," And at this point, Tony began to suspect Steve's smile was plastered to his face. He was okay with that though. He could admire his smile forever and wouldn't ever get tired of it.

"So, Stars and Stripes, what are you thinking of getting?"

Steve rolled his eyes fondly at the nickname and answered, "I like the beef teriyaki bowls here. What about you?" The waiter then came by and asked for their drink orders. They gave them to him and Steve looked back at Tony, expecting him to answer.

"Well when I'm in Malibu, I like to get a California roll because the crab is always the best on the west coast. But besides that exception, my favorite has always been the spicy tuna roll," Tony accepted the water glass from the waiter and took a sip.

"You like spicy foods then? I've never really been a fan."

"Well growing up on fatty steak and bland potatoes wouldn't really accustom your palette to spice, now would it?" Tony joked. The waiter confirmed with them that they were ready to order and they both told him what they wanted.

Their conversation continued like that in between bites for the next hour and a half. Tony slowly relaxed a bit more when Steve responded to all of his jokes with his infectious hearty laugh and smile that left Tony's cheeks hurting and crow's feet deepening. Tony had thought he had known the man sitting across from him fairly well considering he worshipped him as a kid, and worked with him on a team for years. But that wasn't really the case.

Tony felt kinda sorry that he had never really made the effort to learn more about Steve because as he was learning, he actually had lots of levels to him. He learned he loved to paint and coaxed a blushing Steve to show him some of his art off of his phone. Needless to say, he was _thoroughly_ impressed. Steve admitted to having a sketchbook full of doodles of all the Avengers in various places doing various things. That really spiked Tony's interest, but seeing Steve's embarrassment about it deterred him from pushing the subject.

When they had both finished and thanked the chef and the waitstaff, Steve laid down his card to pay. Tony was about to protest and sensing it, Steve gave him a sort of desperate look that communicated to Tony that he wanted to do this for him. Tony obliged and Steve smiled again. He guessed he could let him pay every once in a while if it made him feel like a gentleman.

They left the restaurant and reached the tower by taxi. Steve suddenly became unsure if he should walk him all the way up to the penthouse, or if they should part ways in the lobby. Tony decided that for him when he gestured him into the elevator with him, and Steve smiled at the floor like a dork.

When the elevator doors opened to the penthouse, the two men both walked out and stopped near the living room.

"I had a really great time with you tonight, Tony," Steve caught his eyes and let a gentle relaxed smile fall over his face. "I'm really glad you agreed to come with me." His eyes wandered down to Tony's pink lips and he involuntarily bit his own.

"Yeah, cap, I had a great time too," Tony blushed a little as his insecurities blossomed while standing in front of such a beautiful man.

"Can I - can I kiss you?" And now it was Steve's turn to blush. He shuffled his feet on the floor before realizing what he was doing and stood up straight again to look Tony in the eyes.

The question caught Tony off guard and he stepped forward. His breathless whisper of "Yes," had barely been heard before Steve pulled him into his chest and placed a fervent and passionate kiss on his lips. Tony was startled but quickly moved his lips in response, letting Steve take the lead with it. Steve pulled away but rested his forehead against Tony's, the two men breathing into each other's mouths. Steve let out a breathy laugh and shook his head at his luck.

This time, Steve leaned down and pressed a very soft peck to Tony's lips. He lingered there for a few seconds and pulled away to say, "Bye Tony. I'll text you about our next date."

Tony simply nodded and watched amazed as the elevator doors closed behind Steve.

"Wow," Tony whispered to himself. He could hardly believe the night he just had. Not only was the date perfect in every way, but Cap was one hell of a kisser. The supersoldier ranked really high on his list and that was saying something because it was a very, very long list. He slumped on the couch to gather himself again after all of _that,_ and checked the time.

Peter should be home any minute and he didn’t want to be caught in his suit, so he hurried to his bedroom to change into a comfortable long sleeve tee and some sweatpants. He really wished he could call Rhodey immediately to tell him about the night he just had, but that would have to wait until Peter was asleep. Tony sat there and waited for Peter in silence for a few minutes before he realized his smile was still plastered to his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you thought of the date in the comments!!! pretty please! i love commentsss


	8. if the whole world was watching, i'd still dance with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony get closer. Steve and Tony get closer. Angst to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! sorry for the slow update. i got some bad news about a friend earlier this week and honestly got really distracted. anyway, enjoy the long fic! this has more stony in it than i intended, but i'm just going where I feel the story takes me. i've got plans for the next chapter and hopefully will update within the next two weeks. i know that's longer than usual but I'm going on vacation and won't be writing then. anyway, thanks for sticking with this and reading!! means a lot. 
> 
> this chapter title is taken from a niall horan song, not a one direction song. still counts though. sue me.

  
There was no way Peter was going to let himself be late for the curfew Tony set out for him. He really didn't want to cause him any unnecessary distress, even if a 9 pm curfew wasn't really age appropriate or fair considering it was still summer break.

No matter. Peter had made a promise and he had a successful enough day that he only felt mild remorse at having to return home to the tower. It was 30 minutes until 9 when he heard the alarm he had told Karen to set, and began swinging his way back.

He was high up enough in the air, and it was dark enough, that he decided it was safe to take his mask off. He would do this sometimes, take off his mask for brief moments while swinging. It was one of the best feelings in the world. He let the wind bite at his cheeks, dry his lips out, and whip his hair around in all directions.

It was freeing, moments like these. He recognized that it could potentially be very dangerous to be swinging around unmasked, but he couldn't care less. Peter only had a few minutes left on his way back and he chose to relish in this moment. To draw it out as long as he could. The adrenaline at breaking one of his own rules, albeit objectively unimportant in the dark of the night, and the cold rush on his face had Peter's lips curling into a bright smile.

His chapped lips tugged painfully, but he paid them no mind. He was soaring, each new web a second passing by slowly, leisurely. Like the moment he was living in had nowhere to be, was in no rush. He could take his time in each second. When he found himself caught in a second that lasted hours, he would wonder if the spider had somehow given him the power to slow down time.

It was times like these that Peter felt weightless. Nothing could hold him back. Nothing was strong enough. The strength and force behind each swing forward were always enough to cut through even the strongest of storms. His webs never snapped from the weight carrying him through the air, the thin air never took his breath away. In moments like this one, Peter was an unstoppable force, and only an immovable object could break his stride.

He laughed in pure glee. Sometimes he felt bad that he couldn't share this incredible feeling with his friends. But at the same time, it was beautifully and wholly, _his_. This was Peter's. It was his escape, his joy, his key to forgetting.

Peter's smile remained glued to his face as he landed on his bedroom balcony at the tower. He laughed again, feeling like there wasn't ever going to be a drug that could beat this high. Not that Peter would really know. But he kind of did, because holy shit. Junkies would quit whatever held them captive immediately if they could fly around the city like Peter does each night.

He shrugged off the suit and checked the time. 8:47 pm. He had made it with 13 minutes to spare. The smile still present on his face and beginning to hurt his cheeks, Peter changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before leaving his bedroom to find Mr. Stark.

Heading for the kitchen and knowing he would find Tony somewhere nearby, he made himself a quick PB & J. He turned toward Tony when he noticed he had moved from the couch to the bar stool and gave him a thumbs up and a smile with a mouth full of bread.

"Hey, kid. You made it on time," Tony easily returned the smile. He was happy to see the boy, and honestly _so_  relieved that he had forgotten about the "baby" incident from earlier. That or Peter had elected to ignore it. Tony was fine with either option.

Peter swallowed a huge bite and gave the man a nod in response. How was this peanut butter so much better than the peanut butter he and May would get? How much better could peanut butter even get? Everything Tony got always seemed to be so next-level. It was kinda annoying sometimes.

"Did you have a good day? Stop any big bad wolfies?" Tony couldn't help but feel a warm fondness for the sweet kid standing in front of him. He had gotten a bit of jelly on his shirt but had yet to notice. This kid always managed to surprise Tony with how damn cute he could get.

"A few, yeah," Peter had a glint of amusement in his eye and quickly finished his last few bites of his PB & J before swiping at his shirt to get rid of any stray crumbs. He moved around the counter to lay on the couch and stretch out his achy muscles. It had been a really long day of patrolling and his body had been able to keep up, despite having an entire week of no exercise.

Tony followed him into the room and sat near Peter's head. He began running his hands through the boy's curls, almost on instinct.  
He felt a soft sigh exit Peter's mouth and smiled again. He was too sweet for his own good.

"Tired?" Tony held back a laugh as Peter let out an exaggerated yawn.

"Mmm, guess so," Peter mumbled out. He didn't realize how tired he was until he laid down on the comfy couch. "How was your day, Mr. Stark? Did you help Mr. Rogers figure out Twitter?" He smiled softly at the tirelessly funny thought that Captain America had fought aliens but still didn't know how to work his phone.

Tony's fingers froze for a moment, before catching himself and continuing his movements softly untangling the kid's wild hair. "Yeah, he's following Oprah and Obama now, and he seemed to be very excited about that," That much was true. Steve had mentioned on their date that he had found the talk show host's Twitter account and was ecstatic about it. Apparently, he had also grown very fond of her show. Tony grinned stupidly at the memory of his date and Steve's confession of love for Oprah.

Peter had felt Tony's fingers halt in their movements, and so looked up at him curiously. He laughed at Captain America's love for Oprah and the President but squinted his eyes in suspicion at the huge smile splitting the older man's face. What was that about? It wasn't THAT funny of a story.

Tony looked down and caught Peter's narrowed gaze and quickly wiped the smile off of his face. He cleared his throat awkwardly and attempted to distract the boy with the offer of a movie.

Peter wasn't so easily fooled, but let Tony change the subject because he didn't feel like it was necessary enough to fight it, and a movie sounded good. "Empire Strikes Back?"

Tony chuckled. "I knew you had good taste," and with that, he ordered FRIDAY to pull the movie up. Tony stared down at the boy. He was in such unfortunate circumstances, but he seemed fine on the surface. Tony really hoped that the boy was truly starting to feel better, but he didn't want to commit to that naive belief. He sighed and tapped the boy's shoulder to grab his attention. Once Peter returned his gaze, he patted his leg and silently offered his lap.

Peter blushed but couldn't deny the physical affection when it was presented, so he scooched further down the couch and laid his head in Tony's lap. He felt himself slowly relax. It was nice. He used to watch movies all the time with May, and they would cuddle on the couch, oftentimes, just like this.

But he repressed all thoughts of May, as he had decided to do, and snuggled in closer to Mr. Stark. It was definitely embarrassing, but he knew Tony wasn't bothered by it, and he wasn't being judged, so he tried to shrug off the shame and focus on the comforting hands threading through his hair and making it poofier.

Peter was feeling very tired, in a beautiful way, and he wasn't going to compromise that. He closed his eyes and knew that even if he fell asleep on Tony during the movie, that he would probably take him to his bed anyway. His breath hitched momentarily at the realization that he had complete trust in Tony, and before now, he didn't actually know that he trusted him with so much intimacy. It was a bit alarming, but also, comforting to know that even if he didn't want to admit it, he was acting as a parental figure.

Tony barely paid any attention to the movie they were supposed to be watching. He continued the soothing motion of running his fingers through his hair even when all the tangles had been combed through. The boys breathing slowed down and Tony could tell he had fallen asleep. He figured that he could stay here for a while, just in case moving would jostle the boy awake.

He pulled his fingers out of Peter's hair once he was sure he was fast asleep and got out his phone. He saw he had gotten a text from Steve and smiled.

"Tonight was great, Tony. I know you're a busy guy, so I really appreciate that you made time for me. And speaking of making time, I would like to go out with you again. When you get the chance, let me know when you have an opening in your schedule, and I'll clear mine to be there. I'm pretty keen on ya, if I haven't made that clear. Sleep well :)"

Why do those smiley faces make Tony want to crawl in a hole and never come out? God his cheeks must be flaming red. No one has ever had this sort of effect on him ever before, what the hell was happening? How could Steve's incredibly innocent and sweet-as-sugar text make him melt so easily? He usually held his composure way better than this.

It was kind of scary how much of an effect this man had on him. These were new feelings, which was surprising in itself. Tony didn't think anything about dating could have surprised him. He thought he had seen and done it all. But this warmth growing in his chest was definitely new. And while all these butterflies and nerves were uncomfortable, it was a good uncomfortable. It was exciting, and kind of made him feel like a teenager again.

He decided it didn't matter if he responded quickly because Steve didn't understand the politics of communication over text yet. Steve wouldn't assume Tony was being desperate or that he was lonely or obsessive just because he responded really fast. That was kind of nice, Tony hated that tiptoe game that was common of modern communication.

"Yeah, Cap. I'm pretty "keen" on you, too. I'm free Thursday. Kid will probably be out patrolling, so we'll be clear most of the day. What were you thinking we should do? We'll have the tower to ourselves ;)" He didn't want to make Steve uncomfortable, but the conversation was a bit too honest for him. He needed to lighten it up a bit. Tony was a bit surprised to see a response almost immediately after he pressed send.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. ;) What could we possibly do at your place while Peter's gone?"

Tony choked and threw a coughing fit. Oh, God. That was . . . unexpected, to say the least. Tony suddenly felt very exposed and overly warm with a sleeping Peter on his lap, so he quickly put his phone in his pocket and carried him to bed. He whispered a soft, "Goodnight, baby," to Peter as he adjusted his head on the pillow. Once he had tucked Peter safely into the covers, he fled to his room to figure out how to respond to Steve's text in private.

\---------------------------------------------

The dysfunctional family continued like that for 3 weeks. They had come up with a routine, and stuck to it. Peter and Tony's communication was very well-established, and they never failed to greet each other every morning and night, as Tony requested. Both of them had very busy schedules, Peter's consisting of patrolling every day and visiting Ned and MJ in his downtime, and Tony's schedule consisted of work and secret rendezvous with Steve.

Tony kept up their Monday Morning pancake ritual and talked openly with Peter about anything the kid brought up. He had continued to call him all kinds of nicknames, "baby" included, and it had become frequent enough that it never made Peter blush anymore. Peter had even confided to him that he liked the nickname one sleepy night while they were cuddled close on the couch. Peter's sweet and nearly incoherent mumble made Tony think his heart was going to burst.

They kept busy, but not busy enough for each other, because Tony made sure of that. Peter had been able to convince Tony to push his curfew to 10 pm and made a compromise with him. If Peter kept his word and came home on time every night for a week, Tony would feel like he could trust him and would bump it up to 11. Peter had stayed true to his word and was granted the later curfew as discussed.

Tony wasn't exactly happy about the kid being out so late but reminded himself that he had been staying out that late patrolling for a year and nothing bad had happened yet. But then again, Tony's main issue with the late curfew was that he didn't like taking a risk on a "yet." But, he knew he couldn't control the boy entirely and allowed the small freedom, especially because May had never seemed to mind.

With each passing day, Peter grew more and more comfortable with Tony. He snuggled with him freely, laughed openly, teased him, and got comfortable with switching from half Tony half Mr. Stark, to 100% Tony. It had taken a bit of effort, but he had eventually kicked the formality habit.

While all of this looked great on paper, Tony was growing very concerned about Peter's well-being. He acted fine, was smiling, sleeping, and laughing. He really truly wanted to believe that the kid had just gotten over May's death this quickly but knew that was a stupid way to think.

Tony guessed that Peter was pushing down all of his feelings and thoughts of her deep down where he couldn't find them again. He knew it was a coping mechanism, but it was not a healthy way to grieve. He knew how ineffective it was because he had adopted it himself. He knew that Peter was scheduled to blow sometime soon, but wasn't going to be the one to set him off.

Peter was going to crack sooner rather than later, and Tony became anxious as each day went by. He voiced his concerns to Steve because he had become pretty involved in his personal affairs recently. Things had been going very well for the two of them and they met up almost every day now. Steve was actually great with advice on Peter and always seemed to know how to get Tony to see things more rationally.

It wasn't until the beginning of July that Tony was reminded that Peter was not technically under his permanent guardianship yet. He had gotten a call from his lawyer, telling him that his month as temporary guardian was nearly up, and he needed to make a decision. Either file for adoption of the boy or send him into the system.

Obviously, Tony only had one option, and that was to adopt him. But that was a very permanent action. And as close as Tony and Peter had gotten, it was still very frightening to think that he would be responsible for a child for another three years. He knew he should get Steve's advice on the matter, so he called him over when Peter had left to see a movie with Ned and MJ.

"Hey doll, thanks for inviting me over," Steve walked into the living room and pulled Tony to him to greet him with a quick kiss.

Tony melted into his embrace and rested his head on Steve's chest, focusing on his steady breaths and consistent heartbeat.

"Tony? Is something wrong?" Steve could sense Tony's anxiety and pulled away from the hug to look him in the face.

"I - yeah," Tony sighed and pulled the Captain to the couch. "My lawyer called. He says that my month of temporary guardianship over Peter is almost up, and I need to make a decision."

"Oh wow. Well, what options did he say you have? You're not going to send him away, are you?"

"No, of course not! I would never send him away. I - I love him," Tony's voice trailed off but Steve still picked up on the utterance. He offered him a sweet and understanding smile and looked to him to continue.

"I have to adopt him. That's my only option. And I want to. I've thought about it - and - I do, I want to. He's . . . he's my kid. And I know that's what I need to do, I just," Tony sighed again and dropped his head into his hands, rubbing at his eyes.

"You just don't know how he'll take it," Steve supplied in understanding. Tony nodded.

"You said you think he's doing better, right? Do you think this will upset him? I mean, from what I've heard, you two seem inseparable," A fond smile fell over Steve's face. The love Tony had for Peter was very heart-warming and only made Steve adore the engineer even more.

"We've gotten closer, yeah. And he _seems_  fine, but I don't think he really is. I think he's holding back his emotions. I haven't seen him cry in three weeks. And while that might be normal for you or me, Peter is - well, he's sort of fragile. And emotional. I think he's purposely trying to stop himself from feeling anything."

Steve waited patiently for Tony to finish, nodding along, before he said softly, "Well, sweets, it doesn't really sound like either of you have a choice. The adoption has to happen unless Peter wants to go to a foster home." Steve reached up and held the side of Tony's face in his hand, his thumb slowly stroking along his cheek.

"I know . . . I just really hope this doesn't upset him," Tony leaned into his lover's touch and closed his eyes.

"I don't think it will," Steve said reassuringly. Then, sensing there wasn't anymore to be said on the topic, he tried changing the subject by asking, "So is this the only reason you called me over? Hm?" His voice was teasing and flirty and he tried to get Tony to take the bait and go with the change in direction.

"Do I really need a reason to invite my boyfriend over to my empty house?" Tony smirked until his brain caught up with his mouth. He realized what he said and his eyes widened excessively as heat started to crawl up his neck. He had just called Steve his . . . boyfriend.

"Oh," Steve hesitated only for a second and then said, "No, I guess you don't need a reason to invite your _boyfriend_  over," And oh. Steve's smile was so huge, the corners of his mouth were going to reach the sky.

"I- I'm sorry, I sho- should've - we needed to talk about this, and I just -"

"Tony, shut up. I like you. You know that. I will very gladly be your boyfriend. But . . . only if you'll be mine," Steve's voice had been so sincere at the end of his sentence, that the blush couldn't have climbed up Tony's face any faster. It was red in record speed. Wow . . . Tony huffed out a nervous laugh. Would Steve's spell ever wear off? He was intoxicating.

He looked up and locked eyes with Steve's sincere and earnest gaze. Tony felt like he floundered for words for hours and finally formed a breathless "Yes," in response before Steve's lips came crashing down onto his. Tony had a boyfriend. A lovesick, honest, virtuous, courageous, genuine, noble, sweeter than sweet, gentle, _perfect_ , star- spangly boyfriend. He could throw up from the nerves as his stomach churned. This was fast, he was falling, so so fast and showed no signs of slowing down, whatsoever.

Tony had jumped out of a plane without a parachute. He was falling, it seemed slow at first because the ground was so big and far away. But it was rapidly getting closer. He was falling and there was nothing to stop him from hitting the ground head first and breaking open. He had done this once before. Once you fell to the ground with the speed of a crashing plane, it was really hard to get yourself to get back on the plane to make the leap again. He knew the consequences of jumping out of the plane without a chute, and he swore to never do it again. But here he was, falling all over again. He had made the jump without even realizing. The ground was getting closer with every kiss, every caress. Each soft whisper, each honey soaked compliment, each tight grip of flesh was another second passing by that he hurled towards the ground, flailing arms and all.


	9. if you wanna cry or fall apart, i'll be there to hold you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst. So much of it. Peter is sad boi, Tony tries to fix it. Peter walks in on somethin kinda fun. Angst and eventual fluff cause I can't write my story without a happy ending lmao.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one chapter left babiesss!! i might do a sequel, maybe, maybe not. if y'all want a sequel, COMMENT SOME SHIT. k thanks, see ya next chapter! as always, title is from a one direction lyric. lolz. enjoy this HELLLLLAAAAAAA long chapter!! longest to date! nearly 9,000 words bitches. woot.

Peter had been out to the movies with Ned and MJ when he came back to the tower, his two friends trailing behind him as they exited the elevator. Peter had been feeling fantastic lately and felt like his plan was working really well.

He was suppressing any negative emotion that threatened to bubble to the surface and was succeeding. He had had the best few weeks with Tony, he had spent a lot of time as Spiderman, and he had done a lot of fun things with his two best friends. Even Tony seemed like he had a spring in his step lately. Peter wasn't sure if that was because of him, or because of something else, but it didn't really matter, because they were both _happy_. They deserved that.

Peter guided his friends into the kitchen and chuckled when Ned wouldn't stop gasping in awe at the well-decorated and lavish home floor. MJ tried to remain uninterested but Peter had started to pick up on her subtle expressions and could tell she was impressed with Peter's new home.

"Guys I'm going to go say hi to Tony really fast, you can just sit at the counter and make yourself some sandwiches or something."

"Okay! Woaaah MJ check out this fridge! It's huge!" Ned practically yelled as he opened the refrigerator door.

Peter shook his head and laughed at Ned's excitement again. He made his way into the nearby living room and immediately upon entering the room felt a bit uneasy. His spidey sense warned him of the palpable nervous energy surrounding the man on the couch that Peter had never felt from him before.

His steps toward him became cautious. Tony looked very deep in thought and hadn't seemed to notice the loud bustling teenagers had come home. He stepped closer until he was standing in front of the troubled man.

"Uh, Tony? Is something wrong? Are - are you okay?" It was then that Peter noticed the tight grip Tony had on a stack of folded papers. He sat down on the ottoman across from the sofa and nervously glanced back to Tony's face, "What are those papers?"

Tony looked up at Peter and tried to steady his breathing before speaking. He let go of a heavy sigh. "Peter we need to have a serious conversation."

Peter swallowed. He didn't know what they would be talking about but he didn't guess it was going to be fun.

"Hey Peter, did you want a - oh." Ned walked into the living room and stopped mid-sentence. He could sense the awkward tension in the air as he switched his focus from Tony to Peter. "Uhh, should we - Hi Mr. Stark, haha uh I think MJ and I should go, Peter, we'll see you later!"

Tony resolutely nodded in response to Ned's suggestion and he awkwardly waved goodbye to the two men as he turned around to go back to MJ in the kitchen. Peter could hear his hurried whispering to her as they quickly grabbed their things and shuffled into the elevator.

"Bye Ned, bye MJ! See you later!" Peter called out to them right as the doors closed. He turned back to Tony and wrung his hands together, not liking this shift in mood. They had been going about their lives so carefree and happy, that he was concerned that would change.

"So what did you w-want to talk about?" He tried to ask his question casually, hoping to lighten the mood a little, but failing. Why was Tony so nervous?

"Okay there's no easy way to go about this, so I'm just going to get it over with. My lawyer called, you know the one that dealt with your custody case. He told me that while I had temporary guardianship over you, it only lasts a month. And, even though I knew that, I - I guess I forgot. And, well, that month is up. In a week. The only two options I was given, were to send you to foster care, which I am _not_  going to do, or," Tony sighed. "Or I adopt you. Officially."

He finished his speech and held his breath in anticipation of the kid's reaction. He prayed that Steve was right and that Peter wouldn't freak out. This was huge news, and the boy was in such a fragile place.

Peter went white. It took a few very long minutes for him to process what Tony had just said. Adoption? _ADOPTION_? Tony Stark, adopting Peter Parker? Oh, holy shit. Oh NO NO _NO NO NO_. No. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. Oh, Jesus.

Peter's breathing rapidly quickened and he couldn't keep up with his thoughts. His mind was whirling, his thoughts tumbling and fighting one another for attention. The ones that got through all screamed May, _MAY_ , May. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take this massive, giant, huge, ginormous, _permanent_ step. Because this was just that. Permanent. May had just died. It had barely been a month, and here he was, galavanting around town, stopping bad guys and swinging about, going to movies, eating pancakes, with his soon-to-be legal father?? _No_. No way.

He couldn't do this to May. Oh god, _May_. May. Sweet, loving, funny, gentle, soft, strong, sarcastic, witty, caring _May_. His Aunt May. She was gone, she was really gone, and she wasn't coming back, and this was the proof. Right here. Tony Stark, staring at him from across a couch, telling him he was going to be his new dad.

She really wasn't coming back. He was stuck, here, with this overbearing man, who only cared for Peter out of obligation. Who felt that throwing money at every problem he faced would fix it. Who didn't know Peter at all.

He didn't know that Peter's favorite color was blue because that was Uncle Ben's favorite color. He didn't know that he liked his toast with peanut butter and banana slices. He didn't know that Peter went to Mr. Delmar's sandwich shop every Friday after school for 3 years. He didn't know Peter's goals, his dreams, his fears, his anxieties. Tony didn't _know_ him.

May knew him. She knew him so well. She knew that sometimes he liked to use her straightener on his hair for special occasions so it would lay flat on his head. She knew that his walk from the bus stop home took no longer than 11 minutes, and if he wasn't home in that time, that something had gone wrong. She knew that he actually preferred taking the bus to being driven because that way he could sit and talk with Ned for the bus ride. She knew that he really loved sunflowers and that they always seemed to make his day better, even if he wouldn't readily admit that to any of his friends. She knew that he had his father's chocolate brown eyes and his mother's bright smile. She knew that he had nightmares about the Vulture for months after his attack. She knew that Flash bullied him at school. May knew him.

Distantly, Peter could hear garbled conversation thrown in his direction. He blinked, his head spinning, and stared at Tony's mouth to try and make out what he was saying through the consistent ringing in his ears.

" - look at me? Good, Peter, concentrate on your breathing. In and out. Deep breaths, that's it. Easy, Pete, easy." Tony's face finally came into focus and Peter could begin to make out his words. "Keep breathing, baby, remember to breathe," without even noticing when or how it happened, Peter was curled into Tony.

He rocked him back and forth softly and tried to will Peter's panic attack away with his mind. Tony knew this wouldn't go well. He could tell the kid's mind was racing a mile a minute and was very clearly upset about the prospect of adoption. Tony didn't want to admit that it stung a bit, because he knew that the poor boy had lost all his family and almost certainly didn't want to replace them so easily. But still, would it be so bad? He couldn’t blame him, he shook the selfish thoughts out of his head to focus back on the panicked kid. 

Once he knew Peter's breathing had calmed down again, he pulled him away to stare into his tear-stained face. Despite the obvious crying, Peter's expression was blank. He seemed almost, numb. Like he had locked himself away into a tiny vault inside himself, never to return again.

Tony spoke again and Peter snapped out of his intense but dejected focus. "You alright now?" He moved his hand to run it through the boy's curls but was abruptly slapped away.

"No. I'm not alright. I don't want this. I don't want you to adopt me. I didn't ask for any of this." Peter's voice started to rise and he felt the anger he had suppressed for weeks begin to surface. He tried to remain calm because although he was seething at Tony, he had to respect that the man had given him a lot and had been very generous.

Because of that, he decided that no matter how angry he was, he would still try to remain respectful. That didn't mean he had to be enthusiastic, overtly kind, or willing, however.

"Right. Right then. Pete, I -"

"Don't call me that," Peter snapped.

"Oh - yeah okay. Sorry. . . Peter, I get that you're mad and I understand. I know you didn't want this, but," Tony let out a deep sigh. "I can't let you go to foster care. You know I can't let that happen, right?"

"Oh of course. The great Iron Man couldn't let anything happen to his precious minion Spiderman." Peter was raging inside and his eyebrows lowered as his eyes narrowed.

"No! Peter, no! That's - that's not what I - that's not - you _know_ why! I would never abandon you like that. Don't go acting like I don't care about you. We've been through this, Peter, I _love_ you. I lov-"

"Stop! Just stop. Save it," Peter cried out and shook his head. He knew logically that there really wasn't a better option than the adoption, and even though he knew Tony wouldn't send him to foster care, the thought still made him shudder. He stared at Tony angrily for a minute and then dropped his head dejectedly. Despite his resignation he still kept his tone biting when he said, "Fine. Whatever. Go ahead and adopt me. Bring on yet another charity project for Tony Stark to fix up," And before Tony could respond, Peter darted out of the living room and locked himself in his bedroom. He walked over to the bed and threw himself onto it.

Tony hadn't told him that he loved him before. This was the first time Peter was hearing it. Even in his anger, it made him feel a little guilty for his snarky comments, even if he still felt like the man deserved it. Either way, he wasn't going to just accept this adoption blindly. Tony wasn't his dad. He was a provider, and nothing more. He fed Peter and provided a roof over his head.

He wasn't going to accept anything else from him. He didn't need his "love." Tony wasn't his family. He wasn't May. Grabbing his pillow, Peter shoved his face into it to muffle the sounds of his sobs.

Tony was still shocked by their conversation. The kid's words had hurt, even if Tony knew he didn't _really_  mean them. It was as if he had flicked a switch in Peter's brain, and he went from the happy-go-lucky kid that Tony knew so well, to the grieving "weight of the world on his shoulders" kid that Tony had only known for a brief time.

It was almost worse than that first few days he spent in the tower. Peter had been hurting and heartbroken, but he hadn't been trying to push Tony away. This was new and entirely unexpected. He sat there with his thoughts for a few more minutes before gathering up and straightening out the adoption papers.

Because Peter is fifteen, Tony needs his signatures on the adoption papers. He legally isn't allowed to adopt him without his permission, but he guessed that getting the signature right now would prove to be an issue. Nonetheless, the court date was fast-approaching, and he needed to get the papers back to his lawyer within the next two days.

Shaking his head at the trouble he was about to get, he made his way to Peter's bedroom and knocked on the door softly. He entered and the sight of the boy on his bed broke his heart. He had fallen asleep, with clear tear stains running down his face, and what looked like a runny nose.

He gently shook the boy awake and hoped that in his sleep grogginess, he wouldn't put up too much of a fight, especially considering he had already technically agreed to the adoption. Tony was met with a very harsh glare, only to be expected, and he held out a pen for the boy to take.

With some soft pleading and many sleepy but sharp glares, Peter begrudgingly signed the papers, effectively giving his permission for Tony to adopt him. He tucked a curl behind the boy's ear and watched for a second as he fell asleep once again. He left his room and sat back on the couch in the living room.

Dragging a hand down his face and rubbing hard at his eyes, Tony reached for his phone and set the signed papers aside. He needed to call Steve and talk to him about what was going on. Maybe he would know how to help.

\---------------------------------------------

Tony had gotten the papers all signed and had sent them into his lawyer this morning, and now they just needed to wait on the news. He knew the adoption would be approved because he had the best custody lawyer he could find, it was just a matter of waiting.

It had been a full day since he told Peter about the adoption, and the boy had been completely shutting him out. He knew that this was going to be really difficult for him to process, but he had hoped that Peter wouldn't isolate himself like he was now.

Steve had tried to reassure him that it would just take some time for Peter to come back around, but he wasn't convinced. Peter had seemed so angry and distraught that Tony was afraid to even approach the boy. He had left him to wallow by himself in his room all day yesterday. Tony was aware that Peter had eaten because he had FRIDAY keep an eye on him, but he didn't talk to him all day.

He was really concerned that if he didn't make a move to try and reconcile this situation soon, that Peter would fall deeper and darker into the pit of despair he was so fond of. Tony wasn't sure what he could do, though. He knew that he needed to act soon, and Steve had told him to as well, but he didn't know what he should do that wouldn’t make things worse. It was like trying to avoid stepping on a landmine. 

Peter hadn't left his room yet today, and seeing as it was lunchtime, Tony figured that maybe he could bring the boy some food and try to talk to him then. Even though he had talked to Steve last night about Peter's situation, he wanted his boyfriend's advice again. He just needed to confirm that he was doing the right thing.

"Hey Tony," And Tony could hear the smile in his voice, "What's up?"

Sighing, Tony started, "Sorry babe, this is about Peter again. I know we haven't gone out in a while and I'm -"

"No, Tony. None of that. We'll go out soon," Steve's voice left no room for argument or unnecessary apologies and Tony was relieved that he wasn't upset about it. "What's up with Peter? Has he come out of his room yet?"

"No, he hasn't. I was just about to bring him some lunch, and I don't know what to say to him," Tony's voice began to sound desperate, "Stevie, he's shutting me out and this is so new for me, I don't know how to handle a depressed teenager!"

"Okay calm down. It'll be okay. You've been doing amazing so far. He looks up to you so much, it's so obvious how much you love him." Tony could practically see the fond smile on his boyfriend's face and he felt his chest grow warm at how much Steve trusted him.

"Maybe instead of bringing up the adoption, because that's obviously a sort spot for him, try talking about something else. It's very possible he just needs space. And he just needs to take some time to get over this. If you want to try to do something now though, maybe you guys could go out. Like maybe offer to go to the mall or something? Kids like shopping, right? Maybe the prospect of some new sneakers would excite him enough to leave the tower, you know? A bit of retail therapy?"

"Yes! That's perfect. This will work! Who doesn't love new shoes?" Tony was quickly excited at his new plan and was ready for it to work perfectly. "Oh my god, thank you, Steve, really. I'm so glad I don't have to do this alone. If all goes well, Peter will be out patrolling by tomorrow and you can come over so I can show you my gratitude," Tony's smirk crept into his voice and he couldn't help but let out a laugh when he heard Steve's stuttered reply.

"R-right. Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye, doll." Laughing more freely at Steve's shyness after he hung up, Tony pocketed his phone and went to the kitchen to make Peter a few quesadillas. He was feeling encouraged by this new development and hoped that it would interest Peter enough to lighten his mood.

Quesadillas were Peter's favorite and he had gotten the brand of salsa that he liked the best to go with them. The combination of good food and the opportunity to do some shopping had to brighten the boy's mood, right?

In the back of his mind, he felt like it might not work. Like maybe Peter was too upset for some new shoes to fix his mood, but he knew he had to try. He couldn't let the kid feel alone all over again, not like the first time. Tony wasn't going to have a repeat of their first week at the tower. He knew now that Peter responded well to comfort and love, and that's exactly what Tony was going to give him.

Squaring his shoulders and preparing himself mentally, Tony dished up four quesadillas for Peter and grabbed the glass of water he had poured to go to his bedroom. Reaching the door, he knocked softly before opening it.

Tony walked in to find Peter curled up on his bed facing away from the door, scrolling through his phone in the darkness. He took a few steps into his room and turned on the lights.

Rolling over and squinting from the brightness, Peter glowered at Tony and bit out a sharp, "Go away," before rolling over to face away from him again. He didn't want to see him and he didn't want to eat. He wasn't hungry.

"I know you're mad, Peter. I'm sorry. I brought you some quesadillas," Tony walked further into the room and set the plate and glass on Peter's bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried not to sigh when the boy remained silent.

"You've gotta eat Peter." Tony tried to keep his voice calming and soft, to encourage the boy to eat.

"M not hungry. Go away," Peter mumbled again and buried himself deeper into his blankets.

"I thought that maybe we could go out today. To the mall. Thought maybe you would want some new shoes or something?" Tony ignored the boy's comment and knew that if they went out, he could convince him to eat.

"You thought wrong."

"Oh . . . You don't want to go get some new clothes or something? I noticed that you don't have very many jeans, and maybe we cou-"

Tony was interrupted by Peter abruptly turning over and glaring straight into Tony's eyes. He was shocked when Peter shouted,

"No! I don't need your money or any of your shit! I don't need _anything_  from you. I don't need you to throw clothes and money at me to try and make me like you! _I HATE YOU!_ "

And against Tony's better judgment, he let his voice rise to meet Peter's as he said, "Oh yeah, Hot Shot? You don't need my money? Last time I checked, you didn't actually have a job, and you're living under _my_  roof! I wasn't aware you suddenly had all this money coming out of your ass!" He was breathing heavily at the release of his temper and he blinked quickly, realizing how stupid he had been.

Peter stared at him with wide eyes. Fiery anger was still shooting darts at Tony, but now there was clear pain in them. The pain at being yelled at, the pain of realizing how helpless and alone he really was. He turned his face away angrily.

Tony had gone way too far. He quickly tried to backtrack and apologize, but the hurt look on Peter's face left him speechless.

"You're right. I have nothing," And with that, he rolled back over and scooched as far away from Tony as possible, curling tight into his blankets and pillows, signaling he was done talking.

"No, Peter, that's not what I meant, I don't - I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I - I'm so sorry, baby. I'll leave," his voice had turned into a whisper. "But please eat."

Tony desperately wanted to pull the boy into him and give him a hug but knew it wouldn't be received well, so he left the food on his bedside table and got up from the bed. He turned off the lights and looked back at Peter's huddled form.

He was so lost. He had never had to deal with an angry and spiteful teenager, let alone the usually sweet-as-candy Peter. He closed the door softly and decided he should go to the workshop to try and clear his mind. Maybe he would call Steve and they could go to dinner or something. Anything to get his mind off of Peter and the pain he couldn't seem to do anything about.

The kid's words had cut him deep. He knew that Peter was just angry, and was lashing out at Tony, but his words were hard to ignore. The kid didn't actually hate him, right? No. No, he knew Peter didn't hate him. Not yet, at least.

Tony knew that what Steve had said was probably right. Peter needed time to process his emotions, and then he would come back around. Hopefully. . . He hated that he didn't know.

For now, he just needed to show Peter in small ways, that he was always going to be there for him. Even if his presence was unwanted and Peter tried to push him away at every turn, Tony would show him. Kids needed stability and consistency. Or, at least that's what that parenting website had told him, and what Steve had echoed.

He just had to stay consistent with Peter, and the boy would eventually be okay.

\-------------------------————————-

Peter knew that he had been really harsh with Tony, but he couldn't find it in himself to really care. He didn't mean the things he had said, but he needed to push him away. Peter had broken.

His method of suppressing his heartbreak down had worked for a few weeks before it all came back to haunt him. It wasn't Tony's fault, but the mention of adoption had set him over the edge. He was already having such a hard time coping with his Aunt's death, that the idea that he was going to be replacing her with Tony shut him down completely.

He couldn't do that to her memory. He couldn't shove her aside like she meant nothing and replace her with Tony as his new parent figure, especially not this soon after her death. It had only been a month and he was already replacing his beloved aunt.

It had just been May and Peter for so long, she had been there through so many of Peter's milestones. They had gotten through Ben's death together, and they helped each other when the other one struggled. They were partners. When May was working late, Peter would make them dinner.

When May needed a break, Peter would rent her favorite rom-com and buy her favorite candies. When Peter had a bad day at school, May would make him herbal tea and sit down at the kitchen table to talk. They were a team. And here Peter was, starting to fall into a routine with Tony, starting to be happy. He didn't deserve to be happy, not after May.

He shouldn't allow himself to be content. Not this soon, if at all. The anger he felt wasn't fueled by Tony and his actions. His anger was fueled by his own self-hatred. How could he do this to her? After all the sacrifices she had made for him, after all the love she gave him, and he was moving on in a matter of weeks.

The guilt he was feeling was immense. It nearly strangled him. How could he be having sweet domestic breakfasts with Tony, while May lay dead in the ground? How could he cuddle on the couch with him, allowing him to play with his hair when May would never draw another breath?

It should have been him. May didn't deserve this. She had been through so much, and here Peter was, betraying her just weeks after her death. That's what this was, betrayal. If he allowed himself to be happy with Tony, allowed himself to love him as a father, he would be betraying his family.

He would be betraying the memory of May. He didn't deserve to be happy. He didn't deserve another father. He didn't deserve Tony's love. The only way to get through these next few years was to isolate himself and push Tony away at every turn. It couldn't be that hard, he just needed to remain stoic and stubborn.

_~Peter definitely underestimated how difficult that would turn out to be.~_

\---------------------------------------------

Five days pass by and Peter's situation has improved, but their relationship has not. Tony had been excited when Peter came into the kitchen a couple of days ago to tell him that he was going on patrol, but he quickly realized that didn't mean he was talking with him again.

It was merely a formality. Tony had been hurt by the boy's indifference towards him, but he kept his voice cheery as he told him to have a great day. The kid had been out for eight hours before finally slipping in through his balcony doors and settling into bed. Tony only knew because he had FRIDAY give him systematic updates on his whereabouts.

Steve and him had gone on a sweet dinner date, this time it was Steve's turn to pick where, and he had settled on an authentic Italian place that was walking distance from the tower. They had a romantic evening, and Tony had been able to relax a little. Steve had been very patient with him and never got annoyed that Tony kept diverting his attention back to Peter mid-conversation.

They would be talking about how excited Steve was about the newest installment of abstract pieces in MoMA, and then Tony's mind would wander to Peter again. Any normal person would get annoyed at Tony's distant mind, but Steve was unbelievably understanding.

He had told Tony to keep doing what he was doing, in showing Peter he was going to be there for him, even during the tough times. He very obviously echoed the parenting websites Tony had scoured, and he briefly wondered in amazement if Steve had been reading them too. He wouldn't put it past him, but it was incredibly sweet and definitely unnecessary. It meant a lot to Tony. He loved that Steve almost cared as much about Peter as he did. The kid had more support than he realized.

After their dinner, when Steve was walking him back to the tower, he had told him to keep trying to find things to do with Peter that he would enjoy. If he could find something to really excite him, maybe it would help to bring him out of this funk.

Tony agreed and had thought about what might interest Peter all last night and this morning. It was now 3 in the afternoon, and Peter had gone out to a late lunch with Ned and MJ.

Peter hadn't told him that, but Tony sort of hacked his text messages via FRIDAY and found that out for himself. He felt bad for invading the boy's privacy, but he was scared for him and needed to keep tabs on his location. It wasn't  _that_  unreasonable. Then again, if Peter found out, Tony would never be forgiven. So yeah, better keep that under wraps.

He was sitting in the kitchen with his fourth mug of coffee when he finally thought of something that could get the kid talking to him again. Considering how distant Peter had been, Tony knew it was a long shot. But he was willing to give it a try.

It was nearly 4 pm when Peter came back from his late lunch with his friends. They had spent a couple of hours just talking at the pizza place and he had had a great time with them. Peter was excited to finally finish the Millenium Falcon he had started with Ned, and MJ had rolled her eyes at them and called them losers. They talked about their upcoming school year, and all the teachers they wished they wouldn't get. It was a fun afternoon.

Tony heard the elevator doors open as Peter stepped through and tried to ignore the way the kid's face went from a soft smile to a harsh glare upon seeing him. Tony didn't want to seem overeager but his window of opportunity would soon close, and he had to take advantage.

"Hey wait, Peter, give me a second, okay? I wanted to ask you something." Tony hurried out his greeting and kept a tentative smile on his face before proceeding with his question. He couldn't let Peter shut him down immediately, so he continued, "Look, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a drive with me. I know you have your permit, and I thought -"

"What?"

Tony misinterpreted Peter's quiet question as encouragement, so he continued excitedly, "Yeah! I thought that you could get behind the wheel of one of my cars, we could drive around the city a bit, and get some practice before you -"

"NO! I am not going driving with you. Fuck off!" Peter's sudden change in mood remained unexplained as the red-faced teen ran to his room and actually _slammed_  the door shut.

Tony blanched. He stood there frozen for a few minutes, blinking unsteadily. What just happened? Why was Peter so upset about going on a drive with him? He had _never_  directly cursed at Tony before. Ever. Could this be attributed to his recent explosive moodiness?

Somehow, Tony doubted this was just one of his usual outbursts. There had to be a story here, some real reason why Peter had reacted so intensely. Maybe he was really bad at driving? Again, Tony doubted his reaction could be explained so simply.

Unfortunately, there was no way he could get the answers from him tonight. Maybe sometime later. When he wasn't so riled up and upset. Sighing, Tony moved to the couch that he had basically lived in for the past few days and called his boyfriend.

He needed his advice and he knew Peter wasn't coming out of his room anytime soon. He quickly told Steve to come over and cuddle with him and hung up. It was a little risky, but Tony was 100% sure that Peter wouldn't leave his room for at least a few hours after that outburst, so he wasn't worried. He wasn't sure when he had started crying, but he wiped away the stray tears anyway.

It had only taken 20 minutes for Steve to make his way over to the tower and Tony was grateful he didn't have to wait long. The minute the elevator door opened up to his tall, cuddly, warm boyfriend, Tony rushed over to tackle him.

He jumped up into Steve's unsuspecting arms and dug his face into the man's chest while wrapping his arms and legs around him like a koala. Luckily, due to his super strength, Steve caught him with ease and would have laughed if he hadn't seen Tony's tear-stained face.

Steve walked to the couch with Tony in his arms and laid the both of them down, so Tony was effectively cuddled and wrapped up in his strong arms.

"Hey, love. What's got you so upset? Hm?" Steve's soft and deep voice was barely above a whisper as he stroked Tony's hair.

"I thought he would want to go driving, but he - he didn't take it well, and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't know what to do! I've tried everything I can think of! I'm not ready, I tried - he doesn't, he told me to -" Tony's breathing had quickened and he recognized it as a sign he was panicking.

He was beginning to hyperventilate and the pressure on his chest was building. He knew he would blackout if he didn't get it under control soon. He tried to gather his breathing but couldn't and he looked with wide eyes at Steve, desperately hoping he knew what to do.

"Shhh, Tony, breathe, yeah? In," Steve took a deep breath through his nose to demonstrate and get Tony to follow along, "and out." He pushed the breath out through his mouth slowly, and once he made sure Tony was following along, he continued the breathing exercise until his breathing had steadied.

"Bucky has anxiety, real bad. I help him through his panic attacks sometimes." Steve lifted his chin so he could make eye contact with him. "Are you okay now?"

Tony looked into Steve's eyes and felt a sudden calm wash over him. He blinked slowly. "How are you so perfect?" He whispered in awe before he could stop himself.

Steve's chest shook with quiet laughter. "I'm not. Not even close." He looked fondly at Tony and bent his head down to place a soft kiss to his lips. "How about we just lay here for a bit. You can tell me about Peter later, okay?"

Tony nodded and pressed his face back into Steve's chest. He was warm and loved and somehow, Steve's presence made him believe that everything with Peter was going to work out. He closed his eyes and held the large man closer to him. Peter wouldn't be out anytime soon, so they could take a short nap together. With that thought, Steve and Tony drifted off, feeling safe in each other's arms.

\---------------------------------------------

Peter woke up very slowly. He had fallen asleep crying huddled in a ball on his bed, and his back ached from the uncomfortable position he had laid in for so long. He wiped his puffy eyes to clear them and stretched out on his bed to relieve his aches.

His mind traveled back to the conversation he had had with Tony. The man had offered to take Peter driving around town to prepare him for his driver's license test. Peter had gotten really upset and told him to "fuck off."

Peter cringed at the memory. He didn't mean to curse at the man, but Tony had brought up driving, and well . . . May had been so excited about teaching him to drive. She talked about it for weeks leading up to his application for a learner's permit.

She had just finally saved up enough money recently to buy herself a car. It was a really big deal for her. May and Ben had never been able to afford a car before, and she had saved up the money for years. She was really excited about it because it meant she could get home from her work shifts faster, and Peter and her could take fun road trips together in the future. That was only 7 months ago.

May had planned a whole summer road trip for the two of them. They were going to go up to Maine for good seafood, and Massachusetts to visit Boston. She was so excited about it. She had told Peter all about the road trip snacks they would need, and what kind of playlists they should make. She had been teaching him how to drive every Saturday in her new car.

Peter wasn't very good and was very overly cautious, but May had told him she was glad he wasn't a reckless driver. He had laughed when she told him about how terrible of a driver Ben was. Peter had never heard those stories before. She would laugh and squeal when he hit the curbs in the empty parking lots he drove around in. She told him that if he kept it quiet, she might even let him drive on their road trip before he had gotten his license. She winked at him and said if he was careful enough, no one would be the wiser.

Peter absently noticed that he had tears streaming down his face again and wiped them away. The memories were too fresh, too painful. Tony bringing it up only brought on a fresh wave of heartache at his loss. He didn't want to drive ever again. Not if he couldn't drive with May.

Once he had collected himself, he searched for his phone on his bed. It was then he realized that he had left it in the kitchen when Ned and MJ had come over earlier. He had left it there when they picked him up for lunch and forgotten about it once he came home and stormed to his room. He rolled his eyes at his stupidity and groaned when he realized he would have to pass by the living room to get to the kitchen. He really hoped Tony wasn't still sitting on the couch.

Annoyed once again that he had to go back out there when that was the last thing he wanted to do, he took a deep breath and decided to get in and out as fast as possible.

Or at least, that was the plan. Until he darted through the living room and stopped in his tracks at what lay before him. Captain America was on his couch . . . spooning - spooning Tony? They were - they - he . . . were they dating? Why was - did Captain America - was Tony dating Mr. Rogers?? Oh, _wow_. This was _huge_  news.

Blinking in shock and frozen in mid-run, he scuttled backwards until he was back in the living room near the couch. He hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't say anything? He probably wasn't supposed to find out, considering Tony hadn't told him, but it was too late for that now. He was too curious to _not_  talk to him about this.

How was he going to wake them up though? God, that would be awkward. Peter cringed again at what he was about to do but proceeded with his movements anyway. He tiptoed to the couch and stood behind Steve's large back that was wrapped around Tony. Both men were sleeping soundly. They looked - very peaceful. 

Feeling oddly like a little kid waking up their parents in the night, Peter bit his lip and reached to tap a couple times on what he could see of Tony's shoulder. Tony immediately woke up with a start and looked around wildly.

" _Wha?_ Steve? What's wrong?" His words were slurred with sleep and his eyes darted around until they found Peter, still struggling to focus on him.

". . . Peter? Oh shit." He rolled out of Steve's arms and the jostling movement woke the other man up as well. Peter stood there awkwardly, fiddling with the edge of his shirt as he stared at the ground with a blush on his face.

"Steve, wake up. It's Peter."

"Huh? What? Peter? Is he -" Steve cut himself off when he turned over and found the meek boy swaying back and forth in front of him. His face fell. "Oh. . . Uhh, hey Peter." Steve let out a nervous chuckle and sat up next to Tony on the couch. He ran his hands through his ruffled hair awkwardly and adjusted his shirt.

He met the boy's eyes and then turned to Tony, silently communicating that he would let Tony explain this on his own. Tony understood and gave a small nod. He grabbed Steve's hand and gave it a short squeeze in goodbye as the bigger man got up from the couch and sheepishly made his way to the elevator.

"Bye, Tones. Uh, bye Peter." And with a quick wave at them both, the elevator doors closed on Steve as he made his way down the tower.

"Peter, look I can explain - "

"Are you dating Captain America? How long has this been going on? Who asked who out? Is Mr. Rogers gay? Are  _you_ gay? Why didn't you tell me? Is this why I have been smelling another man's cologne around the living room recently? How come -" Peter was rambling question after question out and Tony couldn't keep up with the onslaught.

"Woah, kid slow down a second. I - I'll answer all your questions just - just give me a second to fully wake up." Tony let out a small laugh and took a deep breath. He was terrified that Peter would be mad, or react poorly, so he began explaining very slowly and carefully.

"Okay. So, yeah. Steve and I are dating. He's my boyfriend. We went on our first date not long after you came to the tower, and Steve was the one to ask me out. He was into me for a while I guess," And although his nerves were still shot through the roof, he smirked.

He looked at Peter to try and read his face for any anger or irritation but only found mild curiosity there, so he continued.

"Um, I am bisexual, yeah. Steve is - uh. . . I don't actually know what Steve is. We didn't talk about that," Tony frowned in thought, but then shrugged. "It doesn't really matter what Steve is, cause we're dating. So I know he's at least a _little_  bit gay."

Tony was surprised to see that his joke elicited a small lopsided smile from Peter. It seemed like the kid wasn't too upset, so he trudged on through his unanswered questions.

"I didn't tell you because, well . . . you've been dealing with a lot. I didn't want you to have to worry about anything else. Not that there's anything for you to worry about with me and Steve, I just. I didn't want you to have to deal with even more drama. And besides, I wasn't sure where we were headed anyway, if things would work out with him . . ." He trailed off. If he was being honest, even though they were technically partners, he still wasn't sure where they were headed, and he told Peter that.

"And if I'm being honest, Pete, I'm still not really sure what our future will look like. Which is why I didn't really want you to find out in this way." Tony sighed. He didn't want to introduce Steve to Peter because he wanted Peter to have consistency.

He didn't want Peter to grow attached to Steve and then have him suddenly ripped from his life, because the absolute last thing Peter needed was to lose someone else he cared about. Tony was simply trying to prevent that from happening. Not that he would tell Peter that, though.

He was trying to remember Peter's last question before it came to him and he let out a loud chuckle.

"I guess your super sense of smell would have picked up on the different cologne, I didn't even think about that. Smart kid," He laughed again and smiled warmly down at Peter.

Peter laughed too and felt the blush on his cheeks grow brighter. "Yeah, well I knew it wasn't yours, cause I know what your cologne smells like, and then I thought that maybe you just got a new one, but it showed up sort of inconsistently, so I wasn't sure . . ." He averted Tony's eyes shyly and felt his neck burn up from the embarrassment.

"Nah, don't be embarrassed Peter, it's cool." He smiled at him again and felt an immense amount of relief relax his shoulders. Peter wasn't upset about Tony being in a relationship with Captain America, and recently he had been upset over everything! This was a miracle to say the least.

"So, you're not upset? You're okay with this?"

"Upset? Why would I be upset?" And Peter genuinely looked very puzzled.

"Well, I don't know, you've kind of been mad at me for just about everything, I thought that this might tip you over the edge." Tony's voice grew softer, and Peter could sense the hesitation in his words. He grew very guilty, very fast.

His face glowed impossibly brighter and he ducked his eyes down again to stare into his lap. "I'm sorry. I know I've been awful to you recently. I - It's just hard," Peter's voice tapered off into a whisper and he gulped before looking back into Tony's eyes with a newfound earnest desperately trying to communicate his sincerity.

"I'm really happy for you. I am. I'm really glad, you two . . . found each other." Peter smiled at him to let him know he meant his words and continued, "Do you love him?" Peter blurted our before he could stop himself and his voice held so much sincerity and wonder that it could have melted even the coldest of hearts.

Tony's eyes widened and he blinked, stunned. Peter's question really caught him off guard. Not because he hadn't wondered if he loved Steve, but because Peter's question revealed such a strong and pure answer in his heart, that it shocked him to his core. He had never been so sure of his feelings than right now. 

"Yes. I do," And with those honest words, Tony felt himself tear up a bit. He quickly blinked the waterworks away. He had thought about if he was in love with Steve but hadn't been able to come to a conclusive answer before now. He guessed the kid's honesty was contagious.

Before Tony could even prepare for it, Peter lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Tony's neck. He didn't say anything but held the boy and felt the skinny arms wrap even tighter around him. Peter pulled away after a few moments and looked deep into Tony's eyes. He could tell how genuinely happy Peter was for him, and his heart grew three sizes at the love this sweet kid offered.

In the midst of all the craziness, Tony had forgotten that Peter had been really angry with him recently. He held Peter's hands in his lap and looked back at him. Did this news change the boy's attitude? Was this just temporary shock that would go away once Peter came down again, only to be just as angry as before? With renewed caution, Tony tried to ask Peter about it.

"So, are you - are you still angry with me?"

Peter's head dropped in guilt and realized that as sad as he was, he knew he couldn't push Tony away. He wasn't sure what had changed his mood so suddenly. He wasn't sure if it was that he finally saw Tony for what he was, a caring, highly-capable-of-loving, man, as imperfect as he is. He wasn't sure why it had taken so long to come to that realization, but hearing that Tony was in love and in a stable relationship, solidified the trust he felt for him that much more.

He had tried to ignore the trust he had in him, and make him out to be a horrible man within his own mind this past week. But no matter how hard he tried to hate Tony, he couldn't. He loved him, and the confirmation that Tony loved him too, only served to burrow Peter's guilt in deeper.

"No. I'm not angry with you anymore," Peter's voice was barely above a whisper and Tony struggled to hear him. Even though he didn't want to press the boy, he knew he had to get to the bottom of the problem he had been having or they would never get over it together.

"Baby, what happened? I know the adoption papers set you off, but . . . why did you try to push me away?"

Peter felt comforted by the returned nickname and looked down at his lap again. He hadn't hugged Tony in over a week and realized he was really craving the physical comfort. He shifted on the couch so he was facing away from his chest, and leaned back on him. Tony's arms easily snaked around his front to hold the boy close and Peter rested his arms on top of Tony's. He let out a contented sigh before explaining himself fully.

"I - I felt like . . . I felt like I was betraying May. And not just May, but Ben, and my parents too. I felt like, . . . if I legally became your son, that I would be betraying everything they did for me. Like everything they were for me, meant nothing. Like I was tossing them aside and replacing them with the new and shiny improvement." His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned at his own words. His voice was soft and quiet as he spoke.

"I loved them. They were my family. I loved her. And, - and I felt like if I did this, accepted you, and this new life, that I would be turning my back on them - on her. I couldn't do that to her, I couldn't -" His voice broke off into a sob and he turned around in Tony's arms so he could bury his face into his chest.

Tony just held him tighter and softly shushed him until he had caught his breath again and his sobs died down. He wanted the boy to continue, so he refrained from interrupting him. Peter cleared his throat, wiped away his stray tears, and began speaking again with a new resolve.

"I didn't feel like I deserved to be happy. With you. I didn't feel like I deserved to find happiness after May's death. Because - how could I be moving on with my life, so soon, and be happy? How could I let myself be happy when she was never coming back?" Peter finished and breathed deeply into his mentor's chest. He was heartbroken but felt calm as he spoke about his feelings with Tony.

"You know, I felt the same way after my parents died," Tony's voice was soft and full of pain. Not pain for his parents, but pain for his kid's heartbreak. "But I realized something after, and it took me way too long to realize this, but I realized that, out of all the people in the world, they were the ones that wanted me to be happy more than anything else. They wanted nothing more for me than to be happy. It took me a few years to realize that. Dad, he was - our relationship was kinda rough sometimes. But I know he meant well. And I know he just wanted me to be happy. I hope you know, Peter, that you're parents, Ben, May. They want nothing more for you than to find happiness. If that happens to be with me, then I don't think they'll mind so much. They may be frightened for your safety, sure," Tony teased, "I mean c'mon, it's me. I am not equipped to be a dad." He laughed again. "But I know, for a _fact_. That May wants you to be happy Peter. You deserve all the love and happiness this world can offer. You are the best kid I know," He whispered his last words into Peter's ear so the boy would understand he was being completely serious.

Peter had felt the sting in his eyes again during that speech but didn't let his tears fall this time. He knew Tony was right. He knew deep down, that May would want him to be happy. He smiled in Tony's arms when he was jolted with a thought.

"Have the papers gone through? Has the adoption been approved?"

Tony let the boy change the subject because he felt like he had said everything he wanted to, but he was still wary of Peter's response to the adoption. He chose his next words carefully.

"Yes. The papers have gone through, and the adoption has been approved," He tried to keep his voice void of emotion so he could get a sense of how Peter was feeling.

"Oh wow. So you're like legally my dad now?" And if Tony wasn't mistaken, he would have guessed that sounded like a hint of hope in the boy's voice.

"Technically, yes. I am legally your dad now." Despite his worries, Tony couldn't help but smile as he said those words. He never thought he would get to this place with Peter. He never thought he would get to this place with _anyone_ , let alone Peter.

Peter gave Tony the biggest and brightest smile he had ever seen on the kid and nuzzled his face even deeper into his chest. Tony's heart burst at the gesture and matched his smile to Peter's. They were both content to leave the silence between them.

They sat there for a few minutes, quietly holding each other, Tony thinking about how relieved he was that Peter had finally come back around. He almost didn't catch the kid's next whisper as it was muffled against his shirt, but once his words registered, Tony felt tears spring to his eyes.

_"I'm really glad you're my dad."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys y’all dont even UNDERSTAND how much comments mean to me!!! like i really look forward to comments and check nearly every day to see if you guys have left any, on ANY of the chapters. it would mean so so much to me if you enjoyed this chapter, to leave a short little comment! i love them all so much and they really motivate me to write more!! 💞💞💞💞 love you guys! 
> 
> OH! y'all can expect the last update sometime between the 16th and the 19th. yikes lol. IF BY SOME CHANCE I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE LAST CHAPTER IS READY BY THEN,,,, it probably won't be up until like the 22nd, cause im moving and won't have much time to write. anyway, plzzzz leave a comment im desperate :)))


	10. for your eyes only, i'll show you my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony have a great movie night and Tony confesses his feelings for Steve. Tooth-rotting fluff ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i did not intend for this to be so long,,,, and i really only meant to do 10 chapters, but here we are lol. i'm splitting this chapter into 2, because i got carried away, and it got really long, and there was a clear breaking point so i just went with it. this was supposed to be the last chapter, but i wasn't done with the other half of it, and wanted more time to work on it, but i also felt bad for not updating in so long, so splitting them up was the best solution! anywaaaay, now i have more time to perfect the very last chapter, and y'all can enjoy this major stony fluff in the meantime. thanks for reading! 
> 
> and as always, the fic title is taken from a one direction song because i am still in denial.
> 
> this title is from my all time favorite one direction song, if i could fly. it hits me HARD bitches. i saved this lyric for something big, and this be it my guy. i think it fits. enjoy!
> 
> LAST THING! i love to put little links in the chapters when i write about their outfits or something, so there are 3 in this one to watch out for! there is a link to Tony’s date outfit (which i love i think RDJ looks so good in it) a link to the bouquet of flowers he gets steve, and a link to Steve’s suit outfit as well. i hope you like those, cause i think they’re kinda fun!

After Peter's quiet confession, Tony had decided that they were going to watch a movie together on the couch. They had been doing that nearly every night before Tony brought up the adoption, and they had gotten into a good habit of cuddling on the sofa to a Disney movie.

Peter picked The Princess and the Frog because that was apparently his favorite princess movie, and Tony had to agree with him that it was one of the best. He was about to go into the other room and pop some popcorn for the both of them when he got a call from Steve.

Tony realized that the two of them had sort of kicked him out, and he hadn't explained to Steve that Peter was okay with their relationship. Steve was probably worried about how it went so Tony knew he had to pick up and reassure him.

He also just remembered that he had confessed his love for Steve to Peter just minutes ago. He wasn't sure when he wanted to tell Steve that just yet, but it warmed his heart to know the truth either way. He told Peter he was going to take a call and to start the movie without him and went to the kitchen.

"Hey Rogers," Tony greeted with a helpless grin on his face.

"Tony, how did it go?" Steve wasted no time in getting straight to his point as he was still heavily concerned about how Peter had taken the news.

"It actually went great," and the smile was still plastered to his face and could definitely be heard in his voice, "Peter took it really well. He was really shocked at first," Tony let out a chuckle.

"But he said he's really happy for us. Oh! And I told him that the adoption went through! He hugged me and, and - you'll never guess what he just said to me, Stevie," Tony's voice was rising slightly in his excitement and he almost felt giddy.

"Oh thank God. I'm so glad he took it well." Steve had gotten a bit excited as well just from hearing it in Tony's voice and was so glad to hear his lover was happy. "What did he say?" He eagerly asked his question with a matching grin on his face.

"Steve, he - he just told me that he's really glad I'm his dad," His whispered response had taken on a tone of wonder and awe as he still couldn't believe the kid had said that so soon. Tony could hear Steve's small gasp on the other line and his eyes stung with the prickling of tears.

"Tony, . . . that's - that's amazing. I am so happy he came back around, I knew he loved you too much to stay mad for very long." Steve was clearly in awe as well, and Tony felt unbelievably lucky. He had a family now. A family of his own.

Tony never even considered this as a possible future of his. And Tony was known for being a futurist. Out of all the possible futures he imagined for himself, he never thought up one as perfect as this. He had a partner that he loved, and a perfect kid to spend the rest of his life loving.

"Yeah, I feel - _so lucky_ ," he breathed out.

Tony was overwhelmed with his emotions, which in itself was extremely rare. He quickly blinked back the wetness in his eyes. He knew that he wanted to tell Steve how he felt sooner rather than later, and deciding that he would chicken out if he didn't act now, he thought he should invite him over to watch the movie with him and Peter.

These feelings, while they weren't new to him, couldn't wait. He had certainly waited longer to voice them in previous relationships, but Tony wasn't getting any younger, and somehow, he knew they would be received well. If he was lucky, Steve might even . . . reciprocate.

"I'm the lucky one, doll. I've got the best boyfriend around," Steve returned and Tony's heart must have grown two sizes because it felt like it was going to thump right out of his chest and fly away.

He knew he should ask Peter if it was alright that Steve came over before inviting him, so he signed off with Steve to go ask the boy his question.

"Alright, Cap," and the pet name had never sounded so fond, "I've gotta go, but I'll text you."

"Sounds good. Bye," Steve responded and hung up the phone.

Sighing in content, Tony walked back into the living room to see Peter wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket like a burrito. He laughed at the sight and moved to stand next to where he was curled up on the couch.

"Hey kid, I -" He broke off his own sentence with a sudden thought. Tony had a feeling that even if he asked Peter if Steve could join them, the boy would hardly have the courage to say no even if he wanted to. He realized that he needed to take the decision out of the kid's hands and push his own selfish desire to speak to Steve aside.

He and Peter had made beautiful progress tonight, and he thought that interrupting what would be their first bonding session after Peter's angry tirade would be unwise. They needed to spend some alone time together, properly. Even if that meant delaying his confession with Steve.

He nodded his head in agreement with his decision and remembered that he hadn't said anything else to Peter. Which upon looking at the boy was obvious, because the kid was staring at him with curious and slightly humored eyes. "Ah - sorry," Tony huffed out a laugh. "Nevermind. I was just about to make popcorn, wasn't I?"

Peter laughed a little as Tony cut himself off and deflected the conversation back to the popcorn. He continued to look at Tony strangely, momentarily trying to read his mind, but then shrugged it off and nodded his head enthusiastically about the prospect of buttery movie popcorn.

Leaving Peter and the movie with a smile, he went to the kitchen to begin a couple of bags of microwave popcorn. As he was waiting for the bag to begin to pop, he shot off a quick text to Steve telling him that he wanted to meet tomorrow.

He hummed as he waited for the popcorn to be done, happier now than he had ever thought the universe would allow him to be. He felt an indescribable guilt because he knew he didn't deserve all the good that had come his way. . . but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain about it.

The popcorn stopped popping so he carefully grabbed it from the microwave and got out a bowl. He stuck a second bag into the microwave when he got a response from Steve. "Sure, sweetheart, where do you wanna meet?"

He thought about it and wasn't actually sure if Peter would be home tomorrow, but figured that if he was, his super-hearing would pick up on their conversation. And although he had just admitted to Peter what he was going to talk about with Steve, he would still rather it be private.

He sent back a text saying, "How about that pizza place we both like? Dress nice. Does 12 work?"

Tony pulled the second bag of popcorn out of the microwave and emptied it into the half-full bowl. He pocketed his phone and walked back into the living room, seeing that the movie had gotten to the part where Tiana and Charlotte were both at the party. Naveen was trying to convince Tiana to kiss him. Peter seemed to be very immersed in the film and Tony bit his bottom lip to hold back his fond smile.

"Here's that popcorn, baby," Tony whispered and set the bowl on the ottoman. He got close to the boy and softly grabbed his head, bringing it to his shoulder, so his boy was laying on him. He briefly worried that Peter would be irked that he moved him from his comfortable position, but when he simply snuggled in closer and draped the blanket over his legs so they were sharing, all doubts flew from his mind.

He really had the best kid. He realized that this might even be the best night of his life. He silently wished for more nights like these and nuzzled his cheek into the boy's hair to rest it there.

He wanted to concentrate on the movie but couldn't get the sweet boy off of his mind. Tony's mind drifted back to how Peter reacted when he had told him that the adoption had gone through, and had no problems expressing his thoughts to him.

"I love you, Peter," His whisper fluttered the boy's hair and Tony heard Peter's breath catch.

"You too." Peter's quiet and sincere response was unexpected but enough to make Tony's heart glow in warmth and light. That was the first time Peter had said anything like that to him and - yeah - it was decided.

This was definitely the best night of his life.

\---------------------------------------------

It was 11 am the next morning and Tony was anxiously bustling around his room, trying to get ready for his date with Steve. The other man confirmed that they could meet at 12, and Tony was worried he was going to be late. He wanted this to be perfect. He had told Steve the night before that he wanted it to be a more formal lunch date, so he was going to dress nicer than usual.

They were going to their favorite Italian restaurant that had the best homemade pizza, and Tony was going to tell Steve how he felt about him. His heart was glowing from the excitement and the love he felt for Steve, but the weight on his chest that usually accompanied his anxiety attacks was rearing its ugly head.

He was practically running around his room trying to figure out what blazer would look best with his charcoal grey suit pants. He was debating between classic matching charcoal, which would be more formal, a light blue striped blazer, or a dark maroon blazer. He had them all laid out on his bed and his white collared shirt was buttoned up haphazardly.

"I think you should go with the blue one." Tony's head shot up in surprise to find Peter leaning in the door frame, smirking at the state of his bedroom.

"You don't think it's too much?" He couldn't even find it in himself to feel embarrassed that Peter was seeing him this crazed, and just needed the kid's advice.

"I think you pull it off. Steve will love it," Peter's smirk grew at the mention of Steve and watched as a slight blush crept up on Tony's face.

Tony remained silent and instead tried to will his rapidly beating heart to calm down. He drew in a ragged breath and grabbed the blue blazer off of the bed. He stuck his arms through and pulled it tight, straightening it out.

"You - uh - your buttons are a bit messed up there," Peter let a giggle escape and moved to help his da- to help Tony out with his shirt. His cheeks bloomed a violent red when he realized that he nearly referred to Tony as his dad in his head.

He cleared his throat. "Uh - let me . . ." Peter kept his eyes down and worked to fix Tony's mismatched buttons for him.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks," Tony noticed Peter was also blushing but didn't acknowledge it. "Should I wear this with the blue tie? It's on the dresser. I think it's the obvious choice, but what do you think?"

"Yeah, totally. The blue tie will look really nice with it, I think," Peter grabbed it from off of the nearby dresser and handed it to Tony.

"Okay, I'll go with the blue," Tony mumbled mostly to himself and began tying the tie around his neck as he paced.

"Why are you so nervous?" Peter asked as he flopped himself onto Tony's bed. It smelled like his da - like _him_ and the cool sheets felt nice on his burning face. Focus Peter! Tony. _Tooooony_. He really needed to get a handle on this name shit before he slipped up.

"Uh - well, I am planning on telling Steve how I feel about him . . today, at - at lunch. I'm getting him blue daisies, they're his favorite, . . well blue is his favorite color too, which is why - I'm wearing blue, and getting him the daisies, cause those are his favorite flowers and -" His voice trailed off when he realized he had been rambling. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, so I'm going to tell him I love him." Tony busied himself with adjusting his tie in the mirror so he wouldn't have to look his kid in the eyes.

"Wow," He whispered breathlessly. Peter had lifted his head from the bed to stare at Tony in awe. He wondered what it would feel like to be in love, romantic love, and what it would feel like to be loved back.

It would be amazing. To know that the person you loved, your best friend, the person you wanted to spend all your time with, loved you back? A shiver ran down his spine. It would feel _incredible_. He was momentarily jealous of his dad before he shoved the envy aside and embraced his joy for him.

Tony deserved all the love in the world. And if Captain America didn't appreciate him for everything he is, Peter was going to personally kick his ass. But something told him that wouldn't be necessary.

Tony was one of the easiest people to love that Peter had ever known. He would never understand why the world didn't agree with him, but chalked their hatred up to extreme and unbridled jealousy. His da -- _Tony_  deserved all the success and joy he had in his life. He had _earned_  it.

And judging by the brief encounter he had with Steve the previous day, he would guess that the other man would definitely reciprocate Tony's feelings. It seemed obvious that they were both head over heels for each other, even from an outsider's perspective, but he guessed they just had to figure that out themselves.

It wouldn't take long, considering how determined, albeit queasy, Tony looked about their date. The sight of his nervous fingers combing through his hair over and over warmed Peter's heart. He was trying so hard to make sure his hair was laid flat in place and he looked his best that Peter almost awed out loud.

Instead, he smirked again and went into the bathroom to grab Tony's cologne for him. Bringing it out and handing it over, he said, "It'll be fine, D- Tony. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Peter almost let the name slip but caught himself quickly and Tony, as frazzled as he was, didn't notice.

"Thanks, kid. You're sweet. Do you have plans for today?" Tony fixed one last stray strand of hair before spritzing the cologne into the air and walking into it.

"Nope!" Peter said, popping the 'p.' "If he feels like it, I was thinking that Steve could stay for dinner tonight? I wanted to officially meet him, y'know, as your boyfriend and everything . . ?" Peter trailed off uncertainly and hoped Tony wouldn't think it was weird.

Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's - that's so thoughtful of you, Petey. I think he would love to," He beamed at Peter's kindness and thanked his lucky stars once again for the cards he had been dealt recently.

He shook his head to clear it and quickly laced up his shoes. He looked himself over once more in the mirror and was satisfied with his appearance. He nodded to himself and grabbed his [blue sunglasses](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/16/article-2366256-1AD819DA000005DC-997_306x707.jpg) from the top of his dresser.

"Okay then, Pete. I'm off. Don't burn the tower down, or Happy will have to file the insurance claim, and you know how much he hates paperwork. See you later, love you!" And with that, Tony rushed out of his bedroom to the elevator before he ended up being late for his date.

He knew he had to pick up the flowers and be at the restaurant in 20 minutes or he was going to be late, and even though he was planning on walking to the Italian place, he decided it would be faster if he took one of his cars.

Tony made his way down to the garage in a last-minute decision and hurried into his black Audi. He could have gone with one of the flashier models but didn't think Steve would appreciate the attention they would bring. He quickly went over his plan for their lunch in his head and started the engine.

He drove out of the garage and turned onto the street he knew held his favorite flower shop. The request for a bouquet of blue daisies was a little bit unconventional, so he had called the manager Ginny late last night and asked her to prepare one for him.

Tony had been going to that florist for years because they made Pepper's favorite bouquet arrangements, so he had gotten to know nearly all the employees there and was always welcomed when he came in. He was extremely grateful they were able to get this bouquet for him on such short notice.

He parked his car on the street and hurried inside the small shop so as to avoid any unnecessary attention. The door jingled as he walked in and Caitie, one of the newer employees, greeted him with a broad smile.

"Hi Mr. Stark, I have your bouquet ready for you, right here." The young woman smiled as she handed it over to him. "This isn't Ms. Pott's usual arrangement, is this for someone else?" At Tony's calculated but kind stare, she added, "Sorry, if you don't mind me asking." She blushed.

"Oh, no worries, Caitie. Yeah, this isn't for Pepper, it's actually for my date," He offered her a small smile before glancing at his watch, "Which I will be late for if I don't leave now. Always a pleasure! Thank Ginny for me!" He yelled as he ran out the door.

He carefully set the flowers down on the passenger seat of his car and drove off towards the restaurant that was only a couple of blocks away. He had arranged for them to have a private room in the back of the restaurant because he didn't want to be disturbed or noticed by photographers or fans.

The two of them had gone out in public on dates before, but they always tried to keep a low profile, and Tony always made sure that Happy kept the paparazzi off of their trail with some less than subtle bribery. Anything he could do to ward off the press frenzy that would inevitably come once their relationship was made public, he would do it.

Grabbing the bouquet of daisies, he checked his watch again and let out a sigh of relief when he realized he had made it with 8 minutes to spare. He took a deep breath, straightened out his suit jacket, and silently rehearsed the conversation in his head before he walked to the door of their favorite pizza place.

Knowing that Steve was a very punctual man, Tony guessed that he was already seated at their table. He took a steadying breath and quickly pushed the door open. The host ushered him through the restaurant, luckily without being spotted, and they reached their private room.

Steve was sitting in the center of the small booth table with a half-full glass of water, wearing a beautiful [dark plum checkered suit](https://tomandlorenzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Chris-Evans-Octavia-Spencer-Gifted-New-York-Premiere-Red-Carpet-Fashion-Tom-Lorenzo-Site-4.jpg) and a white shirt. Tony blinked and absently realized it was one of a few that he had just had tailored for the man. Steve looked up at him and smiled broadly, scooting over a bit in the booth so Tony had more room.

Tony blushed and sat down. He cleared his throat and held up the flowers he was holding. "Hey Stevie, I got these for you. I know that [blue daisies](https://assets.marthastewartweddings.com/styles/wmax-520-highdpi/d21/mw105244_0110_bluebq1/mw105244_0110_bluebq1_hd.jpg?itok=ImpDh1Fy) are your favorite." His blush only grew brighter as he handed them over to Steve.

Steve's mega-watt smile brightened the dimly lit room. "Thank you, Tony. You look -" His breath caught for a moment as he looked his date up and down. "Wow, you look FANTASTIC. And how'd you know they're my favorite?" He raised an eyebrow at him before he closed his eyes and brought the daisies to his nose for a sniff.

"I may have enlisted some help from your old pal, one-armed wonder. He said they were your mother's favorite too, and that you loved them because they remind you of her and because they're kinda rare in nature."

Steve rolled his eyes fondly at Tony's nickname for Bucky. His smile grew when he realized that Tony went to the trouble of finding someone to make a bouquet of blue daisies and he leaned over the table to place a peck to the other man's lips.

"You don't like to let it show, but you sure are a softie Tony Stark." He whispered and stared lovingly at his blushing boyfriend.

"Yeah, well, keep that on the down-low. I have a reputation, you know." Tony's smile grew soft and he decided now was the time to tell him.

"Steve, I need to tell you something. I -" His eyes darted around as he tried to collect his thoughts before he focused them on Steve's attentive eyes once again. "I know this may seem sudden, or too soon, but I don't really care. I'm not getting any younger, and with Peter around, I've found that being completely honest in my relationships is the best way to grow closer."

"So I - I just wanted to tell you that I realized last night. . . I was talking to Peter and - He asked me if I loved you. It was pretty out of nowhere, I was really caught off guard," Tony looked down at his fidgeting hands and let out a nervous chuckle before steeling himself to look into Steve's eyes again.

"I realized when he asked me, that I - I do. Love you. I . . ." He took another deep breath. "I love you, Steve." After his confession, Tony let his gaze drop to the table in fear of Steve's response. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a sniffle come from his partner and dared to glance up at him.

Steve had tears running down his face, and into his blinding smile. He let out a wet half-cough, half-laugh and his intense stare kept Tony's eyes locked in with his.

"Tony, you have no idea how happy you've just made me," He made sure his voice left no room for argument and tried to insert as much sincerity as he possibly could into his words so Tony would understand he meant them. "I- I love you too," His voice wavered with emotion and he choked up and let out another wet cough.

He laughed in pure joy and shook his head with unbelief. Steve had felt the same way about Tony for a couple of weeks but didn't want to say anything to him in fear that it would scare him off. He thought it would be too soon, but now that Tony expressed he felt the same way . . . he could feel his chest expanding.

Tony inhaled a sharp breath at Steve's reciprocated words and nearly cried in relief and happiness. He was at a loss for words, so instead, he scooched closer to the strong man on the cushioned bench and reached up to wipe away his stray tears.

They breathed together, leaning against one another, chests rising and falling in beautiful synchrony. After a moment of the two of them riding their adrenaline rush, Tony looked up at the man he _loved_  and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

He held Steve's wet cheeks in his hands and lost himself in the movement of their lips together. Kissing each other deeply, and slow, with every ounce of love they could incite into the embrace. Tony could taste the saltiness of tears on him and pushed his tongue harder against Steve's in an effort to convey his emotions.

They eventually pulled their lips away but kept their faces close as they tried to catch their breaths. Steve had his arms wrapped around Tony for the rest of their lunch date. Tony pressed himself impossibly closer to Steve's side, and Steve wriggled happily under the closeness.

They shared a pizza and minimal words, leaving the high of their mutual love to speak for itself. As time inched forward, with soft giggles and hushed expressions of lovesick giddiness filling the space, their dishes long cleared, and glasses long empty, the waitress brought them their check.

She left it on the table and gave Tony a sweet smile before ducking out of the room again and leaving them alone. Tony, with sore cheeks and a smile still plastered to his face, signed the check and decided that they were probably there for too long. It was 2:43 by the time they finally left the restaurant but neither of them paid any attention to the time.

With his arm still wrapped firmly around Tony's shoulders, Steve quickly ushered them out of the building to the car. He opened the car door for Tony and moved to his own side, holding the beautiful and delicate bouquet in his lap.

Tony drove off, sneaking side glances at Steve as he made his way back to the tower. When they were finally parked in the tower garage, the pair of men rushed to the elevator to get to the living room.

Both men were eager to have some intimate alone time and were nearly buzzing with excitement. Tony couldn't help but think that the two of them were acting like lovesick teenagers and that it should have been really embarrassing.

Then again, all his thoughts flew out the window every time Steve stared into his eyes like they were the only two people in the world, so there wasn't really any time for shame.

The elevator door dinged open at the penthouse and the two men practically ran to the couch, already pulling each other's suit coats off, with Steve trying to work off Tony's tie.

An abrupt shriek cut their actions off immediately as realization and immediate embarrassment flooded through Tony. He turned around from his position on Steve's lap to see Peter with his mouth slightly open in shock and a warm red coloring his face and neck.

"Peter! Hi! Uhh, sorry we - ah sorry," Tony hopped off of Steve's lap and tried to button his shirt back up quickly. "I sort of forgot you were home, kid." Tony grimaced and scratched awkwardly at the back of his head.

"Heya Peter, sorry you had to see that," Steve nervously chuckled and sat up straight, also attempting to right his clothing. "We really need to stop meeting like this, don't you think?"

"Yes! Yes _please!_ God, please can we stop meeting like this," Peter groaned and ran a hand down his face. "I hope I never have to see something like that ever again oh my _GOD_. I'm going to my room! Please try to - " Peter's blush darkened even more and he spluttered, "Please try to be quiet! I have super-hearing," His voice was nearly a shriek as he ran towards his bedroom.

"Right. We're done, we won't - you don't have to worry, Pete," Tony awkwardly called after him and sighed. He looked back to Steve with another grimace and said, "Well, kids really do ruin the mood, huh?"

Steve laughed and shook his head. He pulled Tony back into his side and rested his cheek against the other man's hair. "It's okay, doll, I'm fine just spending time with you, anyway I can get it." He kissed the top of Tony's head.

Tony groaned. "Damnit Steve, I was about to get laid and now you're being all sweet and it's really annoying." His eyebrows furrowed in a pout. "But whatever. I guess I'm fine if we just cuddle for now," Tony tried to keep his voice sullen and sad but couldn't help the grin that threatened to shine through.

Steve smiled. He could tell Tony was just teasing and laid back against the couch armrest so Tony could lay down on his chest, their preferred position for cuddling. He sighed in absolute contentment and left an easy smile to rest on his face. "I love you, sweetheart. I love you," Even though they had been repeatedly telling each other that 3-word phrase over lunch, Steve thought he might never get tired of saying it.

Especially when Tony's eyes lit up each and every time he spoke them, without fail. He would say nothing but those words for the rest of his life if it meant he could keep that adoring look on Tony's face forever.

Tony snuggled deeper into Steve's chest and rested a hand on his cheek. His thumb stroked over the stubble there and the two of them kept up their whispered promises of love until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i really did not intend for this fic to have SO MUCH stony in it but this chapter really got away from me lmao. I never intend for the stony scenes to be as long as they are, and yet they always end up SO LONGGG. i guess the characters are just writing themselves at this point and there's nothing i can do to stop them. 
> 
> so here is the plan for the end of this fic, as i said above, i meant for this chapter to be the last, but since the stony scene got so long, i decided to split the chapter into two parts, and the last chapter (11th) will be coming soon. HOWEVER! i will be doing a sequel of sorts, that will be way less organized, but will basically be one-shots or drabbles with the same characters, just like loosely based in the timeline of things. 
> 
> i have a few ideas for one-shot chapters i wanna pursue, but i also would love suggestions/prompts from you guys!! if you guys have anything you would like to see happen with peter and tony, peter and steve, steve and tony, or all three, please send me prompts! much love to everyone who has read this all the way through, i am still shocked at how many people have read this. SO MUCHHH LOVE. with that, please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed! kissy


	11. wherever i go, you bring me home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve discuss their future, and Peter has a name mix-up and a birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH okay look. I AM SO SORRYYY this has taken so long ahhhh. i feel so bad!! i meant to get this up last week before i went on my trip, but i didn't finish it and wasn't satisfied, and then i went on a trip with no laptop access, so im just posting it now. thank you for being patient with me!!! this is it folks! the extremely fluffy and borderline obnoxious happy ending i've all been waiting for :') i hope you guys enjoy the suffocating cheese and fluff. :D warning, this chapter starts off right after the last chapter, so the beginning may be slightly confusing or abrupt unless you just read the 10th chap. anyway
> 
> title of the chapter is taken from the song sweet creature by harry styles. big love to you all for reading my first fic!! please leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter xx

After the pair of men had woken up from their cuddly slumber, they had sat up and decided to talk a little about their future. Tony wanted clarity on where they stood and where they would be headed in their relationship, and it seemed Steve wanted the same.

Steve was facing Tony on the couch, with his legs pulled up in front of him. He looked intently into Tony's eyes and said, "I really like where we're headed Tones. I think - I don't know about you, but I've spent nearly all my life hoping to find a love like this, and - I'm ready for whatever comes next. I've always wanted this."

His voice dropped off a bit as he glanced down at his folded legs before he shook his head of worry and looked back into Tony's eyes. "I always wanted a family. When I was - Back in the '40s, I always knew I didn't have very much interest in girls," A slight blush colored his cheeks.

"I knew I fancied men, but - well. Back then, it wasn't really accepted like it is now. I couldn't - I knew that I would have to marry a woman, it was just how it was. And I liked Peggy, well enough." His tone became reverent as he spoke of his past. Tony nodded along and kept his attentive gaze locked in with Steve's. "She was a great friend and the bravest woman I knew. I really liked that about her, I think you would've really liked her." He grinned.

"But when I woke up, after the ice, and I learned about how things had changed . . . the possibilities threw me. I was ecstatic for weeks." His grin broadened slightly and he laughed. "I was so excited to be able to date a man, and to get married," His voice trailed off again.

He shook his head to clear it. "I've wanted this - this thing, we have? I've wanted this to be possible for 80 years. And now it is, and I -" Steve took a shuddering breath and his voice lowered to a whisper. "It's finally here, and I have you, and - I never thought I would ever get this lucky, doll, you have no idea how lucky I feel." A single tear threatened to spill over before he blinked it away. Large, shaking hands interlocked with smaller, steadier ones and he clung tight.

"I guess I didn't really think about how new this would have been for you," Tony's low tone matched Steve's as he whispered. "I realized you wouldn't have been able to date a man freely before, you know, in public. But I didn't think about how amazing it would feel to wake up all of a sudden and be thrown into the news that you could marry someone you loved."

Tony's eyes glistened a little bit too, and _fuck,_  he had cried more in the past 24 hours than he had in years. Since when had he become such a sap? "I love you. I'm not sure - I don't know if I'm ready . . . for marriage, yet. But -"

"No! No, no I wasn't, don't get me wrong, I didn't mean -" Steve quickly rushed out trying to amend his words before Tony got the wrong impression.

"Steve, let me finish." Tony cut him off. "I know what you meant. If you would have let me finish, I was going to say that I'm not ready for marriage yet, but I am ready for the next step." Tony smiled up at Steve and threw his hand up as he quickly added, "That is, only if you are."

A loud sigh of relief left Steve's lips as Tony reassured him that he understood before his eyebrows stitched together in mild confusion. "What would be the next step, then?"

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't - I didn't even ask did I?" He laughed at himself and continued, "I want you to move in with me Steve. In the penthouse, not just the tower, I mean. Of course, I have to talk to Peter about it, and it wouldn't be for at least a few weeks but we could talk about it, and I don't know, see how we feel? I know it seems like we're moving too fast, but fuck what everyone else thinks, right? We can do this how WE want to."

"I think, I would really want to make sure Peter is fully on board with it, but I think - if he's okay with it, I would love to," Steve's smile threatened to split his face open.

"Okay," Tony's expression matched Steve's as he said, "Okay great. Then we'll talk about it some more. And I'll figure out how to talk about it with Peter, too." Tony turned around so his back faced Steve's chest and he dropped his head into his lap. He closed his eyes in contentment and swore that no massage had ever made him feel this relaxed. Love really could add years to your life.

"Sounds wonderful, sweetheart." Steve ran his hands through Tony's hair, untangling the waves and running his hands down past his ears through the stubble on his face. He scratched idly at his scalp and bent down to press a kiss to his forehead. He kept his head low and whispered into Tony's ear. "I love you so much, and I'm so glad I get to tell you that whenever I want."

\--------------------------------------------

Despite Peter's best and most valiant efforts, he has not been able to kick the "Tony = Dad" problem that's been going on in his head. It has been a week and a half since their movie night and reconciliation, and the validity of the adoption has switched the gear in Peter's mind.

As hard as he has tried to shake off the rising need to call Tony "dad", his thoughts have betrayed him. He has gotten close to letting the term slip, but as far as Peter can tell, Tony hasn't noticed. Or if he has, he has been kind enough to ignore it.

It wasn't that Peter didn't want Tony to be his dad, because he really did. That much was clear. It was maybe the fact that he wanted to call him dad, _so badly_ , that scared him more than anything.

What was confusing, was Tony was _already_  technically Peter's dad. So why did he feel the overwhelming need to call him that? He was his dad, by _law_. What made calling him "dad" so significant in Peter's mind?

He couldn't pinpoint his reasons, but he knew it was important to him. More than he would like to admit. It was almost like the one last leap of faith and trust that would prove Tony was here for the long haul. That Tony was his family, _forever_. That Tony was going to be _a dad_. And not just a parental figure, that gave him his curfew and bought his groceries.

There was something about calling Tony "dad" that meant he was fully committing to this. That he was not only gaining the parental guidance and intimacy that would come with having a dad again but that he was committing to be a son.

His fear also derived from the unknown. Peter wasn't sure how Tony would react to the paternal term and he worried that it would make him uncomfortable. Logically, he could tell himself that the adoption had gone through, Tony had the papers, and they had grown really close. But the anxious and illogical side of his brain told him that calling him "dad" would freak him out.

So he suppressed the thoughts whenever they popped up, and he tried his hardest to keep his mouth locked around the older man. He hadn't been ignoring him, he had simply been consciously avoiding calling out to him, for _any_  reason.

It had been hard to keep the term out of his conversation, especially when he needed his attention for something and his first instinct was to call out, "Dad -" so he trained himself to just begin speaking without addressing him first. It granted him a few odd looks but he went with it, and so far it had been working.

He was _not_  going to slip up on this. That wouldn't even be embarrassing, it would be horrible. Just - _so horrible_. God awful humiliation. He shuddered just thinking about it.

Peter had gone to breakfast this morning and could just sense that there was something that Tony needed to tell him. The older man had been cutting up a banana to put into a peanut butter sandwich, which was one of Peter's favorites, and Tony had nearly jumped when Peter greeted him.

Tony had laughed it off and chalked it up to "old man paranoia" but Peter wasn't convinced. He sat down at the counter anyway and thanked him for the few sandwiches he had been handed.

He squinted at the back of Tony's head, trying to peer into his mind and read his thoughts. The effort was obviously fruitless, but he wasn't going to let the weird vibe go undiscussed.

"Is there something wrong? You seem kinda weird," Peter had successfully gotten into the habit of avoiding Tony's name in conversation, and it was almost to the point that he didn't have to remind himself anymore.

"Oh, it's nothing baby. Just stressed, you know how it is," Tony winked at Peter from the fridge and made his way to the seat next to him with his bagel and coffee. And contrary to Tony’s intentions, that only served to confused Peter more.

"No, but you really seem weird. Are you - You can talk to me, you know. I might not understand what you're working on, but I do understand stress," He laughed in an attempt to keep his suggestion lighthearted but tried to pour as much sincerity as he could into his expression.

Tony's heart melted at his kid's kindness and his rapid heartbeat slowed a bit as his eyes softened. "Ah kid, you're too sweet for your own good. I know I can talk to you, I've always got you, huh?" He nudged Peter's shoulder with a smile and sighed.

"Alright, might as well get it over with. Thought we could finish breakfast first, but guess not," Tony mumbled and steadied himself for his next words.

"Nothing's wrong, in fact, something has gone right. I . . . Steve and I - we have news kiddo." Tony lifted his gaze to make eye contact with Peter, set his sandwich down, and turned his body in his chair to face the boy.

"I'm just nervous, you know? Cause I have to ask you something, and I don't want you to take it badly, and I just don't want it to ruin anything and I know that you're so sweet, you don't want me to be unhappy so I just _know_  you'll agree with whatever I -"

" _Tony_ ," Peter interrupted the rambling man.

"Right. Right, sorry." He drew in another deep breath. Just spit it out. "Steve and I have gotten more serious, as I'm sure you've seen, you know, he's always over," His eyes wandered off distractedly before he composed his thoughts.

"And we've discussed the possibility of him moving into the penthouse. With us. He said, and I agree, that if you have any issues or worries about it, _whatsoever_ , that we would definitely throw that idea out the window for now. We both want to make sure that you would be 110% comfortable with this, Peter." His expression was serious and he focused his eye contact to emphasize his point.

"We both feel good about our future, and we don't see any breakups happening anytime soon. We wouldn't even think about taking such a serious step if we had any doubts about the future of our relationship, Peter. I promise that we are both in this for the long haul." He smiled at that.

"I love him, and he loves me, and we've thought about and discussed this thoroughly for the past week and a half. We both feel, that if you feel good about it, and _only_  if you feel good about it, not even if you feel okay about it, we want you to be totally on board. We feel that if you feel good about this then this is the next step we should take in our relationship. But I need you to understand, there is absolutely no pressure, Peter." He fixed Peter with a stern look so the teenager would understand.

"Steve told me that if I sense even a tiny bit of hesitation from you, that it's not happening. And we won't blame you, whatsoever. My priority is you, Peter. You are my number one, and you always will be. From here on out. Steve knows that and I think he might even feel the same," He smirked at that but continued.

"So this is all about you. If you think it's too soon, he won't move in. If you think it'll be weird to have Captain America around, he won't move in. If you think having one dad in the house is enough as it is, he won't move in," Tony let out a soft chuckle at his joke but cleared his throat and schooled his expression again.

"So, baby, what are you thinking? Be honest. And none of your 'suppressing-my-needs-for-someone-else's' bullshit, k?" Tony begged Peter with his eyes to be honest.

Peter had been listening intently to his dad's speech and had been trying to process his feelings throughout. He was a little confused at the mechanics of how the new dynamic would work, but he had to focus on what he knew.

First, he knew Tony loved him. There was no doubt in his mind about that. His confession that Peter was his top priority had made his eyes burn with happy tears before he blinked them away.

Second, he knew he loved his dad. He wanted nothing but happiness for Tony because he knew he had gotten such bad luck over his lifetime. He had always gotten so much pain, sorrow, and turmoil, and then people would call him selfish, hate on his success and brand him as an egotistical and controlling monster. Peter knew better. Peter knew that even though Tony wore a mask of cocky confidence around almost everyone, that he was actually extremely insecure. He knew that while people called his dad selfish and apathetic, he was the most generous, selfless, most caring man he had ever known. Peter knew Tony deserved every possible chance at happiness that he was given.

Third, he knew Tony loved Steve. He could see it every single day, hell, he could see it every single _minute_  that passed by. Since he had found out about their relationship, there was no question that his dad was head over heels for the super-soldier.

Peter could tell that when he wasn't on his dad’s mind, Tony was thinking about Steve. He was pretty sure the man's attention switched from the two of them constantly and only rarely allowed for attention to his work.

Fourth, he knew Steve loved his dad. He had visited the tower several times over the past ten days and Peter had been paying close attention, observing what he could from the sidelines. The way Steve handled himself around Tony said more than his words ever could.

Deep love communicated itself through the soft moments, the short arguments that were resolved with a kiss, the small but selfless sacrifices he witnessed Steve make to alleviate Tony of any stress or worries he had.

In the moment, witnessing such a strong connection had shocked Peter to his core. He had been baffled by it. Besides the brief and fuzzy memories he had of his parents, and the interactions he had witnessed between May and Ben, Peter had never witnessed such great tenderness in a romantic relationship.

He had forgotten what that had looked like and was startled by the familiarity that had crept up on him when watching the two men interact. It had felt safe, and nostalgic of a time when it was just him and his parents. Steve's love for Tony had reminded him of _home_.

Smiling, he realized that even though he only knew those four things with certainty, that was all that he needed. All the rest of the details would work themselves out. Peter knew that he wanted his dad to be happy, and he wanted his dad to feel loved all the time. Because that was what he deserved.

He looked into Tony's eyes and resolutely nodded his head in affirmation. "I'm really happy for you and Steve. I think it would be great if he moved in with us." He smiled wide to convince him that he meant it.

"You're sure? Are you sure, kid? Have you had enough time to think about it? Because he'll be here, all the time you know, he doesn't have a job, he's an artist, so he stays home to paint, so you'll see a whole lot of him and he's always in the kitchen, he loves to cook, so you'll never have the kitchen to yourself anymore, and if Steve moves in that means Bucky will be over a lot too, because they're best friends, and there’s Sam too, so it'll get way busier in here you know, the couch will always be occupied and -"

"Are you trying to convince me to say no?" Peter smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I just want you to consider all the possibilities, Peter, all the scenarios and all the details. I want you to be completely sure about this. It's important, it's a big step. I need you to really make sure."

"I'm sure. I am 100% sure. I don't care about all of that other stuff. I see it, how much he loves you. And I see how much you love him. It's more than enough to convince me that this is the right decision. I don't need to know all the details, because I know it will work out. I want this to happen. I want you to be happy."

Tony stared at him with blatant love and adoration as a soft smile played at his lips. "You really are the best, you know that?" He sighed an empty sigh. "You don't have to do this just to make me happy, Pete. I'm happy with you, and this won't upset me, I'll be -"

Peter groaned in annoyance. "Oh my _GODDDD_ , if you don't shut up I'm gonna get up and walk away." He rolled his eyes at his dad's persistence.

"Okay, okay," Tony held up his hands in a placating gesture and chuckled. "Alright, then I guess it's settled. Steve will be moving in with us then." He grabbed Peter's hand and held it tightly. "I love you, baby. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," He meant to sound annoyed but his smile gave him away. "Go call Steve and tell him, I'm going on patrol. I'll be back tonight before 11, I promise. I'll see you later!" Peter cleared his plate as he talked and rushed out the kitchen door.

"Bye, Pete, love you! Be safe!" Tony yelled at the retreating teen and pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Steve and tell him about their conversation.

Steve had come over and the two men ordered Chinese takeout to celebrate. Steve had tried to convince Tony to let him cook, but Tony wanted them to relax and eat together so the soldier relented.

As a way to test the waters a bit, Tony invited him to stay the night for the first time. Steve readily agreed but they discussed boundaries and both understood that for tonight, sex was off the table. They both figured that Peter accidentally hearing them wasn't worth the risk, especially considering this would be their first night spent together.

They were enjoying a lovely and comfortable evening and Tony relished the thought that his boyfriend would always be around the house now. Snuggling his head further into Steve's lap, he dozed off as Friends played softly in the background.

Exactly three minutes before 11 o'clock, Peter came shouting and running from his bedroom, mask in hand, yelling, "I'm here! I'm here! I wasn't late! It's still -" His words died off when he saw Steve but he composed himself and offered a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here, is Tony -" Steve looked pointedly down at his lap and looked back to Peter. "Oh! Is he asleep?" Peter lowered his voice to a whisper and cringed at how loud he had been.

"Yeah, he's asleep. I'm staying the night tonight, so I'll take him to bed in a bit. Have you eaten?" Steve kept his voice low so as not to disturb the man on his lap.

Peter's initial shock cleared from his face before he answered, "Yeah, I grabbed a couple hot dogs from a cart earlier. I'm pretty tired, so I think I'm going to, uh head to bed. See you in the morning . . ?"

"Yeah, I'll be here in the morning," Steve answered with a smile. "What do you like to eat for breakfast? I'm not sure what ingredients you have in the kitchen but I bet I could whip something up."

"Oh - uh you don't have to make me breakfast, it's-"

"I want to. I love cooking," reassuring Peter with another smile he continued, "So? What will it be? I can make an omelet, pancakes, waffles, french toast, -"

"Oh my god, I love french toast! Could you - would you please make us french toast?" A slight blush rose to his cheeks from his eager answer.

Steve only smiled wider at his enthusiastic response and gave an affirmative nod and laugh.

"Thank you! That's really nice. I - I am actually going to go to bed now, so uh goodnight Steve," feeling a little more comfortable with him, Peter smiled big and waved a little as he left the room.

"Goodnight kiddo," Steve said and turned back to Tony on his lap. He stroked his fingers through his hair and decided that since Peter had come home, they could head to bed now.

Tony slowly woke up to Steve gently shaking his shoulder. "Hm? Wha -" He cleared his throat. "Has Peter come home?" His voice was groggy and barely over a whisper.

"Yeah, he's home. We can go to bed now," Steve shifted on the couch once his legs were free and stretched them out a bit. "Come on, it's late."

"Yeah mkay," Tony's bleary vision focused on Steve and he grabbed his hand to help himself stand up. He cracked his back with a few twists as he led Steve by the hand to the master bedroom. "We're in here. I sleep on that side, so move over." 

Steve chuckled as Tony pushed him to the other side of the bed and they both slid under the covers. The bedroom was chilly and Steve shuddered at the iciness of the sheets. The cold was never his friend.

He shuffled towards the middle of the King size bed and slowly snaked his arms around Tony's waist. "I'm sorry, it's just real cold in here." He pressed himself close against what was uncovered of Tony's skin and sighed at the warmth radiating from his boyfriend.

"It's okay, it's nice," Tony mumbled in response. "Night, cap." He turned around in his hold to lay a sweet kiss against Steve's cheek before shifting back again.

"Sweet dreams, Tony." He was finally beginning to warm up from their shared body heat and he felt himself drifting off into peaceful sleep.

\---------------------------------------------

Tony woke up suddenly to FRIDAY not-so-calmly telling him that Peter was having a panic attack. "Boss, Peter is hyperventilating and will pass out soon if he does not receive any aid. I strongly advise you to go to him."

"Shit! Shit," Tony swore under his breath as he threw off the covers and quickly found a t-shirt to throw on.

"Wha? Tony? What is it?" Steve sat up with his eyes still closed, attempting to blink himself awake.

"It's Peter, he's having a panic attack, I'm going to help him. Stay here."

Tony caught Steve's more alert response of, "Okay," as he ran out of his bedroom and into Peter's. He was glad that he had previously made Peter's bedroom the one directly adjacent to his own. There was a door that connected the two that had never been used before now, but Tony was glad for the small convenience.

Throwing the door in, Tony wasted no time in getting to Peter's side. The boy was clearly still asleep but was sobbing heavily and gasping for air.

"No, no, no, _no_! Please, no, no, no, not you, not you too," Peter's voice cracked and strained as he screamed and writhed in his sleep and Tony's heart broke at the boy in anguish.

"Peter, hey baby, hey wake up. Wake up, baby, it's me, you're home, you're safe," Tony very carefully placed a hand on Peter's arm and whispered comforting things so as not to startle him awake.

Sometimes coming out of a nightmare, unaware of where you were, you could lash out violently. Tony had been a recipient of a few nightmare punches over the years, and knew to tread carefully with the frightened teen.

He continued to whisper to Peter until the kid's rude awakening and consequential jump nearly made him fall off the bed. Peter's arms were flailing and his unfocused eyes scanned the room crazed and full of fear until they landed on Tony.

"Dad?" Peter croaked out in between gasping breaths with his voice barely a whisper.

Tony could feel his heart swell inside him. He felt it growing so big, it was surely going to break through his ribcage. Pushing the overwhelming and overbearing love he felt for the kid aside, he focused on the task at hand. He needed to regulate Peter's breathing.

The devastated and heartbroken eyes he looked into nearly shattered his soul. "Hey baby," he whispered, grabbing his boy's hands to steady him, "It's me, I'm here, you're safe. Everything's okay. But I need you to listen to me, and follow my breaths okay, Peter? I need you to follow my breathing. In," he drew in a deep breath through his nose, gesturing for Peter to copy him, "and out." He slowly released the breath through his mouth in demonstration.

He continued his pattern until Peter's searching eyes watched his mouth and attempted to copy his breathing. He took shallow, shuddery breaths, trying not to choke on his sobs. He shut his eyes tight and gripped his dad's hands in his own, trying hard to rip his foggy brain out of his nightmare and focus on the rise and fall of his chest.

Once Peter was able to steady his breathing, Tony let go of his hands in favor of wrapping his arms tightly around his back to pull him in. He squeezed Peter so tight to his chest that if it weren't for the boy's super strength, Tony would be worried he would bruise him.

Peter aggressively buried his head under Tony's chin and soaked the man's shirt with his tears. He was crying so hard that he was sure it wasn't just tears that were soaking the shirt, but snot and drool too. He tried not to think about that too much and instead savored the warmth and love he felt radiating from the older man.

"Baby, shh, you're okay. It's okay. Pete, can you tell me about your dream?" He paused to wait for Peter's loud hiccups to die down. The quiet whimpers coming from the boy had Tony's heart shattering into even smaller pieces, but he carried on. "What did you dream about that's got you so upset? I think it'll be good to talk about it, sweetheart." He murmured against the top of his head.

Tony knew it would take a bit of gentle soothing to get Peter to open up about his nightmare, and he was willing to wait. He caressed Peter's curls and ran his fingers through them in the way that always seemed to calm him down.

After a few minutes of quiet shushing and gentle hair scratches, Peter coughed to clear his throat and shakily said, "I dreamt that - it was the night M-May died all over a-gain. Except - except this time it was _you_  in the car. A- and, and I was swi-swinging to the hospital again, and i-it was _you_  on the hospital bed, a-and I co-couldn't save you and y-you looked so st-ill and -"  
  
"Shhh, shhh, Peter, it's okay. It's okay baby, I'm here, it was just a dream. Take deep breaths for me, hm? Slowly," he watched to make sure Peter obeyed and seeing the boy try to comply, continued with, "That's it, steady."

"I couldn't sa - save you. I tried but -"

"No Peter. None of that. I'm alive, and I'm here. And you know that May, . . . it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have saved her, even if you were there in the car with her. Especially not if you were in the car with her. It was an accident. Nothing you could have controlled. You know that, right?" Tony needed to be sure that Peter didn't blame himself for May's death.

"Yeah . . . I know that." Although his tone of voice wasn't helping to convince Tony, he didn't want to push. Instead, he rocked back and forth with the teen pressed tightly into his chest.

"Alright, okay. As long as you know that." Peter felt content in his dad's arms stayed still for a long while. He was starting to nod off a little on the other man's shoulder before a sudden realization made him gasp.

"What? What is it?" Tony pushed Peter away from him to worriedly stare into his face, searching for signs of pain or injury.

Peter quickly ducked his head to avoid the other man's eyes as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. "It's nothing," he squeaked. Oh god, if he could crawl into a deep dark hole and never have to face Tony ever again, he would. He inwardly cursed his sleep muddled brain for accidentally letting _that_  term slip.

"No, something's clearly wrong, what happened? Did I hug you too tight or something?" Tony had noticed a very sudden shift in the kid's demeanor and was almost sensing . . embarrassment? Why would Peter be embarrassed? He hadn't done anything to be embarrassed about.

When Peter didn't speak up, Tony questioned him again, "Are you - are you embarrassed about something? I don't understand, did I do something?"

Knowing Tony wouldn't quit his interrogation until Peter explained, he decided to get it out quick and bite the bullet.

"I called you dad," he mumbled so quietly into his hand that he was afraid Tony wouldn't hear him and he would have to repeat himself.

"Oh . . . Yeah, I heard that." Once he knew what Peter was embarrassed about, he couldn't keep the smile from lifting his lips. He bit his bottom lip to try to hold it back but was unsuccessful.

Groaning in embarrassment and refusing to look at Tony, Peter apologized, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again, it was an accident."

"I - I kinda liked it," and now the adoration was clear in his voice and Peter couldn't ignore it. He hesitantly looked up to see Tony smiling down at him, love translating in every eye wrinkle.

Cold shock ran through Peter's blood at his words. His eyebrows furrowed together. "You -  _what?_   You liked it?"

Tony huffed a quiet laugh. "Well, yeah. I am technically your dad, so I think it's kinda nice. It - it's actually really nice. What - did you think I would be mad?"

Peter shrugged and his forehead wrinkled in thought. "I mean, I didn't think you would be _mad_ , but like - probably weirded out, I guess." He shrugged again and sneaked a glance at Tony's face to find no judgment there.

"No, no," He let out a real laugh this time. "I'm not weirded out. I-if you want, you don't have to obviously, but if you want, y-you could keep calling me that." A red blush matching Peter's bloomed from his neck up as sudden nerves crept up on him.

"Oh. . . yeah okay. If it - if it doesn't bother you, then . . . I guess I'll - stick with that then." He kept his head down and rubbed at his neck.

"Okay then." If Tony's usual smiles were bright, then this smile would blind. He felt elated and overwhelmed with unconditional love for his son. "I love you, Peter. So much," His voice was fierce but shaky with raw emotion and he had to make an effort not to get choked up.

With Tony's reassurance, Peter felt like he could smile back just as big. "I love you too, dad."

Tony's smile grew impossibly wider. "K then, kid. Normally I would have you come sleep in bed with me, but we've got Steve here. We could go to the couch, watch a movie or two, make a snack, or I could stay here with you, if you think you can fall back asleep? You do need it."

"I think I'll be okay. I can fall back asleep here, you go back to your room," Peter sighed and lied back down on his pillow, pulling his comforter up with him.

"You're sure you'll be alright? I can stay here with you, it's no problem," Tony questioned with a disbelieving eyebrow quirked.

"No, I'm sure. Really. You helped me a lot, I feel better now. Please go back to Steve," He tried to sound convincing as he pleaded for him to return to his own bed. He really was feeling a lot better, and he wouldn't know what to do if Steve found out he needed his dad to stay in his bed to comfort him all night, it was embarrassing enough already.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll leave. Goodnight baby, sweet dreams," Tony got up from the bed and stood in the doorframe to wish the boy goodnight.

"Night, dad."

————————————————————

It was July 30th and Tony was planning Peter's birthday on August 10th. He knew the kid wanted to keep it really intimate, as he had told him countless times, so he realized that a huge party wasn't really necessary.

Peter had told him that he just wanted to hang out with Ned and MJ, and then on Tony's insistence, had agreed to go out to a fancy dinner with Steve and him. He had said that he wasn't a huge fan of fancy foods, but he got to pick the restaurant and finally agreed.

Tony knew he had the day plans covered, but he was still working on gifts he should give him. A lot of Peter's things from the old apartment were put in storage, per Peter's request, and he needed some new things that wouldn't remind him of May 24/7.

He was always losing backpacks during the school year, so Tony figured getting the boy a few extra backpacks wouldn't hurt, but those weren't really presents so much as they were necessities.

Peter loved movies, he loved legos, he loved the Avengers, he loved science, and he loved his family. Tony had been making a list and when he was going over it with Steve, who had been moved in for a few days now, he had given him a great idea.

Steve's idea was to gift Peter with some private lessons from all of the Avengers. Now that he was his kid through adoption, they were now all obligated to help Tony out with this.

Clint could take Peter to the archery, Rhodey could take him to the shooting range, Bucky could teach him the beginnings of riding a motorcycle, Sam could take him on a flight with the Falcon wings, Nat could teach him martial arts and defenses, Thor could teach him about space and Asgard (because Peter would soak that up), Bruce could show him some experiments in the lab, and Stephen and Wanda could show them their magic and shit.

Tony thanked Steve for his genius idea and knew that these sort of "coupons" with the Avengers would freak Peter out. The kid would be so stoked. He also thought that even though Steve lived with them now and was still moving in, this idea would be the perfect way to get them to spend more quality time together.

If he gifted Peter with some art supplies, like some canvas, an easel, charcoals, and some different kinds of paints, then Steve could give him a full art lesson. Or if it went well, the two of them could make it a habitual thing. It made Tony giddy to think about his two favorites spending time together. He knew Steve would agree, and he hoped Peter would find it just as exciting.

Besides that, he figured he could pick up a few big lego sets for him too. He obviously needed to update his wardrobe, and get him some new furniture for his bedroom, because Peter hadn't changed or added any new decor.

Tony added the things to his "Peter's 16th Birthday" list and told FRIDAY to order them and have them shipped. In the meantime, he knew Steve could use some help unpacking his last few boxes of things, so he made his way up to the penthouse from his workshop.

"Hey Stevie, what can I help ya with?" He walked into the master bedroom to see Steve sitting on the edge of the bed, surrounded with clothes, hair sticking up at all angles, staring off into space. He tried to suppress a giggle but failed.

"Hm? What?" Steve looked up, finally noticing him, and looked like he was about to pull his hair out.

"What's got you lookin so confused? Is there enough room for your clothes in the closet?" He let out another little laugh at the sight of the frazzled man. He knew Steve didn't do well with messes and was probably hating how disorganized everything was.

"I'm . . yeah, I'm okay, I just, have been organizing for hours and I . . took a break. I'll get back to it now," He spoke to the wall with a blank expression, before hopping off the bed and sluggishly moving to hang a shirt in the closet.

"No, love. Let me do it. You look pretty burnt. How about you and Peter go and do something while I finish up with your clothes?"

"What? But - "

"Remember I was saying yesterday morning how I wanted you guys to spend time together? I want you guys to go out and bond. How 'bout you go see a movie or something? Pete loves going to the movies. And then that way you can relax a bit. It'll give me enough time to put all your clothes away."

"That sounds nice. Yeah, that sounds good. I guess a break would be good. Is Peter home? I haven't seen him today."

"Yeah he's just been holed up in his room, I don't know what he's doing, but if you go in and ask, I'm sure he'll be happy to go." He gestured for Steve to get up off the bed and continued folding his jeans to put away in the drawers.

"Okay, yeah I'll go and get him. Thank you, doll," he gave Tony a grateful look and gave him a quick peck goodbye.

"Have fun! Do some bonding!"

"We will," Steve laughed and walked into the hall to get Peter from the next room.

The door was slightly open but he gave it a couple of knocks anyway before pushing it in.

"Peter? Hey, so Tony was thinking we should go out to see a movie together! Would you wanna do that?" He gave the kid laying on his bed a quick once over and double-checking to make sure he wasn't in a bad mood, gave him a smile.

"Oh, just you and me? Why can't dad come?" Peter didn't seem to be uncomfortable, just curious.

"He wants me to take a break from unpacking and offered to do it himself. So he's sending us away," he chuckled.

"Oh, okay then. Sure! Are we leaving now?"

"If you're ready, then yeah we can leave right now. Have you eaten anything today? Maybe we could pick up some sandwiches from that place you like? What's it called? Delgado's?"

Peter's face instantly lit up. "Delmar's? Yeah yeah, Mr. Delmar has the best sandwiches! That would be great! Let's go!" He stood up from the bed and pulled on some shoes. "I haven't had one in sooo long cause it's kinda far from here, and I usually go after school." Steve felt a smile grow on his own face in response to Peter's enthusiasm.

"Well if they're the best then we can definitely spare the time. And besides, a little drive will do us some good, don't you think?" He smiled and trailed behind Peter as they entered the elevator.

"Yeah, we could grab a taxi! Queens is just a 20-minute drive from here! It usually takes me a little bit longer to web but that's just because sometimes the shorter buildings throw me off my game. Wait - is it - is it okay that it'll take 20 minutes? It's kinda far," he suddenly came to a halt and frowned slightly.

"Yeah, Peter, 20 minutes is no big deal. We can find a theater around Delmar's and then come back here afterward. Sound good?"

"Yes! Oh my god, thank you, Steve! This'll be great, you'll love Mr. Delmar, he's so cool. Sometimes he'll give me a bag of chips for free because I'm a 'loyal customer,'" Peter laughed at that and buzzed with excitement at visiting Queens again.

"Wait, you're from Brooklyn, right? Do you visit a lot? Does it look the same from when you were a kid or is it really different?"

Steve chuckled at Peter's questions and said, "Yeah I visit pretty often. That's where Buck lives, he found an apartment there and he likes it because, it's - well it's not the same, but it's - familiar. So yeah I visit him a lot."

"Oh, that's so cool! Mr. Barnes is really nice. I only met him once, when we were fighting in Germany, but he had the coolest arm! And I learned a lot about him in history too, you know. You too! You were all over our textbooks."

Steve gave Peter an amused look and the two of them fell into a very comfortable and effortless chatter about their respective hometowns. Steve could see why Tony loved the kid so much, he could steal your heart in seconds.

\---------------------------------------------

August 10th had finally arrived, and Tony found himself more excited for the kid's birthday than he had been for any of his own in the past 30 years. All the Avengers had agreed to their little birthday present lessons as they were excited to get to know Peter better.

Steve was especially excited about teaching Peter to paint because he said their designated bonding had been going well, and they had gotten along great. But part of Tony knew how excited Steve was about having this "proxy son" in his life. He knew that being able to teach him things like a parent would, meant a lot to the soldier.

They had discussed Steve's yearning for the traditional family life, how he had always wanted a husband and a couple of kids. Tony knew Steve had given up on the prospect of kids a while ago, but he got the feeling that his boyfriend was more than willing and eager to welcome Peter into his life, and treat him as his own son.

Tony also had a hunch that the reason Steve had been so giddy about art lessons had to do with his desire to be looked at as more than just a soldier. Teaching Peter watercolors would prove to himself that people wanted him for more than just his super-soldier abilities and that he had valuable skills to pass on beyond fighting techniques and war strategy.

It made Tony's heart swell to know that he was able to help his boyfriend feel the validation that he needs, simply by pushing him to connect with Peter. The kid always had such a beautiful impact on people, it would never cease to astound him.

Peter had started off his day greeted by his dad and Steve, with a large selection of homemade breakfast foods. Tony had made scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and sausage, and Steve had made french toast, blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, waffles, donuts, and hashbrowns.

Peter's awestruck expression had made both of the older men laugh, and his heightened metabolism allowed him to eat a normal serving of _each_  of the options. Tony and Steve had eaten whatever Peter couldn't finish, and it had ended up being nearly the perfect amount of food.

They finished breakfast around 9:30 and Peter exclaimed he had to get ready to leave. He cleared his plates and after giving both men a quick hug, to Steve's obvious surprise, Peter got ready for his day with Ned and MJ. The three of them had planned out the perfect day in Queens and Peter was buzzing with excitement.

He reminded his dad that he would be back by 5 for their dinner and ran to the elevator with a backpack swung across his shoulder. He wanted a bag to keep his wallet in, and to secretly sneak a stash of candy into the movie theater when they went.

Once Peter was out the door, Tony and Steve took their time cleaning up the kitchen, leisurely dancing around and splashing each other with soapy dishwater.

Eventually, the kitchen was clean and Tony reminded Steve that they didn't have to leave for dinner until 5:30, so the artist decided he would get some painting done in the spare room Tony had been kind enough to gift to Steve as an art studio. It hadn't gotten very much use yet, but he was determined to change that.

Tony, on the other hand, had begun preparing Peter's presents and double-checking that he had everything ready for when he came home. He wanted Peter to have a great day and hopefully distract him enough from the fact that he wouldn't be spending his birthday with May.

He had thought that Peter might be especially sad today, considering, but he woke up with a good attitude and a smile. When Tony asked about it, he said he was determined to make the most of today and try to stay occupied enough that he wouldn't have to dwell on it.

Tony would be surprised if there weren't at least a few tears shed today, but Peter had been making good progress. He was crying less each night, even if just by a little bit, and even though he got into weird funks every once in a while, Tony was almost always able to help pull him out.

It helped that living with Tony, and now Steve, was so new because they were still getting comfortable with each other and Peter hadn't fully adjusted quite yet. He had a feeling that the newness of their arrangement would eventually wear off, and May's death might him hard again, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

For right now, his job was to move the wrapped presents into the family room, and double-check that their dinner guests were still coming. Peter said that he wanted to keep the dinner small, and was expecting it to just be Tony and Steve, but Tony figured it wouldn't hurt to invite a few more people.

The kid needed to know who his family was. Tony wanted him to understand and realize how loved he was and how much support he had. Even though they weren't biological family, they were Tony's family and so by default, they were Peter's too.

Tony invited Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey to their birthday dinner. Pepper and Happy had said they could come, which had surprised Tony because Pep was nearly always completely busy. Rhodey was busy tonight and couldn't make the trip to NY but he said he would try and stop by sometime this month.

He also told Steve he could invite Bucky because the two were practically brothers, and Bucky had actually agreed to come. Steve said he was excited to officially meet Peter and get to know him better. Bucky was a really great guy once Tony got to know him a little bit and he was grateful he was always there looking out for Steve.

Tony was also really grateful his son had so many great people in his life that could help him out when Tony inevitably fucked things up. Peter could fall back on the love and support of many new "Aunt and Uncle" types if he ever needed to escape Tony, which presumably, would be very often.

Peter would be excited about the dinner guests, and would definitely be excited about the presents, so Tony allowed himself to relax a bit before it was time to get ready. He decided on watching Steve paint, and found him in the makeshift art studio, sketching what looked like Spider-man on a fresh canvas.

"Are you going to paint Peter?" He came up behind Steve's broad shoulders and rested his hands on them, massaging lightly.

"Yeah, that's the plan. I thought it could be my birthday present to him, do you think he'll like it?" Steve had sketched spider-man in a crouched position mid-swing, framed by two sky-scrapers on either side of him.

"I think he'll love it. But I thought the art lessons were your present to him?"

"Oh no, that's your present, right? I mean - you're enlisting everyone, so I'm just included in that bunch. This will be something strictly from me."

"You don't have to do that, the art lessons are enough, sweetheart," he ran his hand through Steve's blonde hair, fluffing it up.

"I know, but I think, since we're dating, and I live with him, I should do something a little more than just bandwagon on your gift, right? And besides, he has nothing up on his walls, and this could be something he could put up. That's only if he likes it, though." Steve had set the pencils aside and grabbed the paint palette that he had already squeezed paints onto. 

He picked up a bit of red on his paintbrush and began working. "FRIDAY, can you play some music? Volume low, please."

A curated playlist began, the room filling with the strum of a soft melodic instrumental guitar. "I'm sure he's going to love it, Stevie. I think his bran will fry just trying to comprehend Captain America taking the time to paint little old Spiderman. He will freak out," he laughed and Steve joined him.

"I mean I hope he sees me as more than just Captain America, but I guess it will take time to switch that mindset. I'm glad to be seen as a hero for now, because once he gets to know me that will definitely change." He laughed again, pulling his brush away from the canvas so it wouldn't smear.

"No, no. First, Iron Man is Peter's favorite hero. Second, stop with the self-deprecating humor. If anything, he'll decide he likes you better than me when he gets to know you better, so maybe I should start hiding you from him," he joked.

Steve snorted and shook his head. "That would never happen. Pete worships you, and rightly so."

"Alright, this is going nowhere. I guess we can agree that Peter is a very loving kid, no matter the shit we've done or who we are. Anyway, I'm just gonna sit on this chair next to you and watch you work. I've got a wonderful view." He pulled the nearby chair closer to Steve and leaned back, content with watching Steve with his paintbrush.

\---------------------------------------------

Tony could not have imagined a better birthday dinner for Peter. The boy had come home from his time out with Ned and MJ looking absolutely radiant with happiness and Tony couldn't be gladder.

Peter went on for twenty minutes straight about the food he ate, the presents Ned and MJ got him, and the laughs they all shared. It seemed that despite remembering his Aunt all day, Peter had an amazing time out with his best friends.

He came home, quickly got ready for their dinner, and the three of them headed out. They met their dinner guests at the restaurant and Peter was so surprised he let out a little squeal, which made everyone crack up with laughter.

He was really excited and thankful that they all came for him, and he settled at their table with a big grin on his face. When they all gave him presents he teared up and stood to hug them all very tight, insisting that their gifts weren’t necessary, to which all of them shushed him.

Pepper had gotten him a badge that allowed him all-access to Columbia University’s science and research lab, and Peter nearly bounced off his seat in excitement and awe. He looked to Tony disbelieving, and Tony just shrugged in return.

Happy had gotten him a couple of Spiderman and Iron Man key chains, with the promise that he would help Peter get in his required number of driving hours, and Peter was touched.

It meant a lot to him that Happy was willing to help him with his license and knew the offer wasn’t given lightly. He thanked Happy so profusely that the man told him to shut up about it, but with the hint of a smile on his face.

Bucky had gotten Peter the new Star Wars: Battlefront II video game that he wanted but hadn’t gotten yet. Bucky had only known what to get him from Steve and Tony’s help, and once again, Peter was overwhelmed with everyone’s kindness. 

Peter hugged him, catching Bucky by surprise, and thanked him incessantly for the gift. Bucky warmed into the hug and blushed as he told Peter it was no big deal. Tony and Steve made brief eye contact, smiling because they knew how good of an influence Peter could be in Bucky’s life.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly and Tony was very glad to see that Peter was enjoying the food and the company. They finished up, said goodbye to Pepper, Happy, and Bucky, and went back to their penthouse to finish off the night with a PJ movie night.

After the three of them had shrugged off their nicer suits and changed into sleep clothes, Tony sat them on the couch to give Peter his presents.

The kid blew through the pile of lego sets, video games, books, new microscope, several backpacks, more clothes, shoes, etc. opening each new item with a look of astonishment and an incredulous look. He had said, “I don’t need all of this!” around 11 times already.

Despite his insistence that the gifts were too much, Peter was happy, and that’s all Tony wanted to see. He gave him the Avengers present last, and Peter jumped up and down yelling for what seemed like an hour before he settled down again.

He had hugged his dad tight around the neck and then turned to Steve to hug him just as tight. “Thank you so much for the art lessons Steve, it will be so cool!!” The boy’s genuine enthusiasm and excitement warmed Steve and he felt a big smile grow on his face.

“I’m excited to do it, Pete. I think it’ll be cool too. And I’ve got something else for you too, it should be dry by now. I’ll go get it from the other room.” He got up and left the room.

When Peter’s eyes locked in on the Spiderman painting Steve had done for him, his jaw dropped. For once, he was at a loss for words.

Now, of course, Peter was extremely grateful of all the gifts he had received from his friends and family today, and especially grateful for everything his dad had done for him.

But there was something so personal about Steve’s gift that made it so much more meaningful to Peter. In a way, the painting was a testament to Peter that Steve was ready and willing to be a part of Peter’s life, and more than just a friend.

The immense gratitude and overwhelming love he felt from both men in the room with him made Peter choke on tears. He blinked them back and hugged Steve fiercely once again, only this time, he pulled Tony into the hug.

Peter whispered his thanks and assured Steve that he would hang the painting right above his bed frame in his room. Steve had been surprised by his reaction but pleased nonetheless, and they finally released each other from the hug to start their movie.

Tony brought out Peter’s favorite candies and some popcorn and told the kid that they could watch whatever Peter wanted. After a bit of thought, one of Peter’s all time favorite movies, Stardust, was queued up and he was excited to show it to Tony and Steve who had both never seen it before.

Steve had settled in near the center of the couch, Peter sat next to him on his right with the popcorn bowl, and Tony sat to Peter’s right. Tony wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders, pulling him in tight, and Steve wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders, pulling _him_ in tight.

Which consequently, meant all three men were squeezed in to each other, cuddling cozily as an end to a perfect day. Despite still feeling nervous and unsure when he thought about his future, Peter felt more hopeful about it now than he had since May died. Now, he knew that he had a family, one that had proven to care endlessly about his happiness and success. And _that_  was something.

 

x fin x 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed!! as i've said previously, i intend to make a sequel of sorts with one-shots and such! i already have a few ideas for some of them, but i would love some more suggestions and prompts!! please leave me a prompt or two for anything you would like to see! it could be a chapter focused on steve&peter, a chapter focused on steve&tony, tony&peter, peter&pepper, peter&bucky, peter&flash, peter at school, etc. i would love to hear some of your ideas!! thank you all so so much for reading, the support i've gotten amazes me and i love you all so much for letting me take you on my denial alternate universe ride. MWAH


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